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The
American Indian
Graduate
Spring 2012
Inside this Issue:
• President’s Message
• A Message from the
Director
In Memory of Dr. Joe S. Sando
1923 - 2011
• Loss of a Great Historian
• The Rainer Scholarship
• Bridging the Healthcare
Gap – A.T. Still University
• The Importance of
Education
• The Burial of
Elouise Cobell
• Fostering Native Youth
• Navajo Code Talkers
The American Indian
Graduate is now available
online at www.aigcs.org
Dr. Joe S. Sando
An easy way for federal employees
to donate — 11514 American
Indian Graduate Center (AIGC)
The Spring 2012 issue of The American Indian Graduate
is dedicated to Dr. Joe S. Sando; Co-founder and first Director
of the American Indian Graduate Center,
historian, author, intellect, husband, father and friend.
“J
oe Sando was a good friend of my parents, both of whom taught at the Jemez
Day School for 25 years beginning in 1946. Joe was a frequent visitor to our
home and I remember him as a jovial, dignified and intelligent man — a man
who personified the best qualities of his Pueblo heritage.
When I was writing House Made of Dawn, I asked Joe numerous questions about the
Jemez language and culture. While being properly discreet, he was very helpful to me.
He was a recognized authority on the subjects he wrote about and his writing was perceptive, clear and precise.
In his passing there was significant loss, but there was also the gift of his having been
among us. We will cherish that gift indefinitely.”
— N. Scott Momaday
Table of Contents
The American Indian Graduate
Volume 11, Number 1
Volume 11, Number 1 • Spring 2012
5
Message from the President
A Season of Change
by David Mahooty, President, Board of Directors
6
Message from the Director
A Year of Changes
by Sam Deloria
8
The Loss of a Great Historian
A Cherished Pueblo Teacher Journeys Home
by Regis Pecos
A Publication of the American
Indian Graduate Center
3701 San Mateo Blvd., NE, #200
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Phone: (505) 881-4584
Fax: (505) 884-0427
Website: www.aigcs.org
Publisher
Sam Deloria
Director
Susan Duran
Stephine Poston
Editors
Jim Weidlein
Production Editor
Carolyn S. Tate
Design and Layout
10
Admission Possible
Removing Educational Barriers for Native American
Citizens of Federally-Recognized Tribes
15
AIGC Board of Directors
David Mahooty, President
Zuni
by Bridget Neconie, Admission & Recruitment Specialist
University of California - Berkeley
Grayson B. Noley, Vice President
Choctaw
Press Release
ABA Adopts Policy to Curb Box-Checking
Melanie P. Fritzsche,
Secretary-Treasurer
Pueblo of Laguna
16
The Rainer Scholarship
Christine Nelson and Jake Roberts Named as 2011-2012
Rainer Fellowship Recipients
18
Forty Years of Friendship
Helen Maynor Scheirbeck — Lumbee Extraordinary
by W. J. Strickland
20
Dee Ann DeRoin, M.D.
Ioway Tribe of Kansas
Michael E. Bird
Kewa/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo
Rose Graham
Navajo
Danna R. Jackson
Confederated Tribes of
Salish & Kootenai
Bridging the Healthcare Gap
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Leads the Way
Recruiting and Training American Indian Health Professionals
Cover: Dr. Joe S. Sando
by Dr. Carol Grant, Director, A.T. Still University’s National Center for
American Indian Health Professions
Continued on page 4
3
Table of Contents
22
The Importance of Education
Making a Difference
24
by Mark Ratledge, High Country News
26
To Play Happy
Fostering Native Youth Growth
Through Stickball and Lacrosse
28
30
by Pete R.G. Coser, Jr., MHR, Program Manager,
Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian
Studies Washington University in St. Louis
Shining Stars
Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge
Reservation Recognizes Educational
Achievements
by Susan Duran
A Community Effort
Native Youth Take Charge
by Neomi Gilmore
32
Navajo Code Talkers
Death of a WWII Hero
Health Initiatives
Putting a Native Perspective into U.S.
Health Care Policy
by Robin Camardo and Carolyn Gonzales
by Dustin Goslin
Elouise Cobell
The Burial of Elouise Cobell
35
by Susan Duran
33
AIGC Alumni
Letter from an Alumnus
34
Accenture Scholarships
Accenture American Indian
Scholarship Recipients Announced for
Academic Year 2011-2012
by Marveline Vallo Gabbard
37
Alumni Connection
The Alumni Connection
by Susan Duran
38
A Professional Legacy
Native Studies and the Legacy of
Joe Sando
by Robert Warrior (Osage), PhD, Director, American
Indian Studies, University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign and AIGC Alumnus
41
Pre-Law Summer Institute
PLSI Receives 2012 Alexander Award
by Susan Duran
42
Looking Back
AIGC Memories
by Charles Trimble
is now available in electronic form.
If you would prefer to receive an
email copy of our publication,
please let us know at
w w w.aigcs.org
Contact Us
Mailing List: If you are not currently on our mailing list and would like
to receive future issues, please call or write to the address below.
Advertising: To advertise in The American Indian Graduate, please
contact Linda Niezgodzki, or send an e-mail to: [email protected]
Article Submissions: Submit all articles to Stephine Poston, Consulting
Editor, for consideration. E-mail: [email protected]
Reprints and Permissions: Reprints of published articles and/or
artwork are prohibited without permission of the American Indian
Graduate Center.
4
American Indian Graduate Center,
Albuquerque, NM 87110,
(505) 881-4584 phone, (505) 884-0427 fax
Visit us On-Line! www.aigcs.org
2012 AIGC, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published submissions and advertisements do not necessarily reflect the
view of AIGC, Inc.
Message from the President
A Season of Change
by David Mahooty, President, Board of Directors
H
appy New Year! The New Year is traditionally a
time for new beginnings and fresh ideas, from the
smallest resolutions to the major societal changes.
This new year brings with it many changes for the American Indian Graduate Center, a new office, a new website
and some new operations for the AIGC staff!
On October 1, 2011, after almost three decades at
the same location, the new AIGC office opened at 3701
San Mateo Boulevard NE! Just a few blocks from the former location, the new AIGC office is still easily accessible
from I-25 and Montgomery Blvd., with ample parking
for our students and other visitors. AIGC is occupying the entire second floor of the 2-story office building, enabling us to operate within the same floor and
giving staff a bit more elbow room, as well as a modest
allowance for growth. An elevator to the second floor is
a major enhancement that facilitates access for staff and
visitors and new furniture has been installed in many of
the offices. We also look forward to showcasing some of
the beautiful artwork that has been donated to AIGC, to
be sold, over the past few years. We expect that the dust
will be settled and the “Open House” announcement
will be forthcoming in the very near future. We hope
that you will join us!
We also hope you’ve had a chance to visit our new
website, aigcs.org, launched in the last quarter of 2011.
Along with the AIGC constant contact newsletters, it is
a wonderful showcase for our programs, special events
and a sampling of the accomplishments of many of our
students. As in the past, the website offers individuals a
quick and safe way to donate to AIGC, to access our past
magazines and press releases and reach members of the
staff and board of directors.
David Mahooty
A new feature of the website is the AIGC
Fellowships Online Application. Students applying for
graduate fellowships, loans for service and those being
nominated for the All Native American High School
Academic Team can access the application by simply
creating a login and password and following the online
instruction. Of course, applicants may still download
and print a paper application or request one from the
staff but, using the online process eliminates the $15.00
application fee, is considerably faster and will enable staff
to confirm completion and receipt of the application
materials on a more timely basis.
We look forward to hearing your feedback on all
of these changes. Please let us know how you like our
new looks and watch our web site and newsletter for the
announcement of our Open House and reception during
Gathering of Nations week. ✦
This new year brings with it many changes for the American Indian Graduate
Center, a new office, a new website and some new operations for the AIGC staff!
5
Message from the Director
A Year of Changes
by Sam Deloria
W
e moved! After almost 3 decades, AIGC relocated to a larger space, about a mile from
our previous location. Once we finalize the
arrangement of offices and furniture, hanging pictures and taking care of a few other minor details, we
are planning on hosting an Open House. Watch for the
announcement in the AIGC newsletter and on our web
site but, in the meantime, if you happen to be in the area
before then and have a few extra minutes, feel free to stop
by and see the new office. (3701 San Mateo Blvd. NE)
Another change for us is the implementation of an
online application. Applicants can complete and submit
their application, without having to download it, fill it
out and mail it to us. However, for any student without
Internet access, the AIGC office will print a copy of the
application and mail it to any student, as requested.
We reached a new record of 898 completed applications
for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, an increase of 17%
over last year’s total of 767. Great work, AIGCS staff!
One of the complications for everyone trying to design
programs to help AI/AN students, and Native people in
general, is that we have so many definitions of who qualifies as a Native person and for what purpose. This issue
contains articles on some of the attempts to address this
problem in higher education – interesting reading.
Encomium to Dr. Joe Sando
My wife, Vivian Arviso, and I were in Vienna, Austria,
at a conference of German-speaking anthropologists (not
to show off; this was a rare trip for us). We were speaking
with Dr. Christian Feest, a world-famous anthropologist
who has been involved in the efforts to protect indigenous peoples for many years. He said that Mexico was
seeking the return, from Austria, of Montezuma’s headdress, perhaps in exchange for Emperor Maximilian’s
carriage. We kidded him by saying, “Well, you know
that Montezuma was from Jemez Pueblo, right up the
road from us!”
“Aw, that’s just Joe Sando”, he replied, with a familiarity that seemed like they had been to high school
together. It made us proud that we knew a man whose
6
Sam Deloria
name and opinions are familiar all over the world and
with whom the professionals can disagree on the basis of
collegial equality. When we got back to Albuquerque, we
found that Dr. Sando had died while we were gone.
We, at AIGC, want to dedicate this issue of our
magazine to Joe Sando. He was one of our founders, a
beloved figure here in the Southwest, an important person nationally and internationally and he represents,
to me at least, a transitional type of scholar and expert
who broke us out of the role of (often nameless) “informant” and helped create a place for Native historians
and Native versions of history. As we lose people like
Joe, I wonder if there are people to take his place, with
his depth and breadth of knowledge – people who learn
their history at home and not only at the university, but
who can also hold their own at the university. I suppose
every generation worries about that.
For the most part, this is the first generation that is no
longer on only one side of the table – we have an increasing number of Native Ph.D.s who will, in both professional and personal capacities, interact with their colleagues in
universities and with local indigenous historians. This will
blur the lines considerably. When all of us are on one side
of the table and the scholars on the other side are all nonIndians, it is easy to attack and defend – too easy. It will
be much more complicated from now on. Our professionally-trained, indigenous historians will play an important
role defining the issues and bringing indigenous history
into the picture in ways that are not condescending and
who will have to earn their privileged places.
I have been to conferences where speakers have
asserted that indigenous knowledge is superior to
Western, or Euro-American, knowledge. Huh? If it’s
knowledge and not mere opinion, then isn’t knowledge
knowledge? Or stated that there are different kinds of
“truth” – at least one for each of us, I presume. These are
word games.
We now have a generation who can honor the really
old people, those whose stories were considered unreliable when (or because) they differed from the mainstream
story. It can honor Joe Sando’s generation, as well, those
often self-trained historians, who ventured into the temple
themselves, knowing that their stories would often, perhaps usually, be met with skepticism. They submitted
themselves to the judgment of the professional historians
and didn’t back down. They can honor that generation by
valuing the opportunities that people like Joe Sando made
for them, not only by helping to create scholarship pro-
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We have earned our place at the table, in part
through the efforts of people like Dr. Sando and in part
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is not to advance an agenda but to use our training and
native Native abilities, to our utmost, in the search for
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I will miss Dr. Joe Sando, walking the aisles of the
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chatting with those he knew and generally acting the
host on behalf of his beloved Pueblo people. ✦
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7
The Loss of a Great Historian
A Cherished Pueblo Teacher
Journeys Home
by Regis Pecos
P
aa Peh was his given name, when his spirit was
offered to Father Sun, as he rose above the mountains to extend his reach with the warmth of rays
to embrace Paa Peh, to welcome him to Walatowa – his
birth place, the place he would call home.
As Pueblo people, we are taught that all life brought
into this world must be respected and nurtured, as part
of our sacred trust. The elders say, “None of us know
what the spirit of an infant carries into this world. We
do not know what gift the Creator has given that child,
with which the child and spirit will contribute to the
well-being of their people. We do not know if that spirit
has been blessed with the gift of a powerful mind and
intellect, to understand and reason; the gift of vision, the
ability to see beyond the horizon; the gift of listening,
hearing the voices of the spirits here and beyond; the gift
of speech, articulating the beauty of a way of life; the gift
of the heart, of having love and compassion or the gift of
the hands, to create and to heal.”
The people of Walatowa nurtured Paa Peh, teaching
him to understand and cherish the ways of his people,
their beliefs and their traditions. There are those special
times in our lives when, during our journey, one spirit
joins us – a spirit who carries all of these gifts and, with
those gifts, blesses us all, as it was meant to be, by telling us the stories of our people. Paa Peh was one of those
special spirits to us.
On the cover of his autobiography entitled, Pueblo
Collections, The life of Paa Peh – Dr. Joe Sando, there is a
photo of an infant in the arms of a Pueblo woman, next
to a Pueblo man dressed in traditional attire of that time
(the 1930s). Paa Peh’s parents, Juanito and Lenore, were
Dr. Joe Sando
The people of Walatowa nurtured
Paa Peh, teaching him to
understand and cherish the ways
of his people, their beliefs and
their traditions.
born in the 1890s, when the federal government ended
its war against the Indians and built the first Indian
boarding schools. Inside this wonderful book, pictures
reveal a barefoot boy running along the banks of the acequia¹, carrying water to the cornfields and watermelon
patches. Another reflects a young boy, his body blessed
with traditional paint and adorned in ceremonial dress a participant in the ceremonial dance of the Walatowa.
Still others reflect a handsome young Pueblo man attired
in his Navy uniform and a grown man we have come
to know, along our journey, as Uncle Joe, Grandpa Joe
and Dr. Joe Sando. From humble beginnings, Joe rose
¹(Acequias are the historic communal irrigation systems that support the culture and livelihood of thousands of families in New Mexico.)
8
to national and international prominence and acclaim,
as a renowned historian, scholar, author and teacher of
Pueblo history.
In his introduction in the book of Pueblo Nations,
he wrote, “As an educator, I have been confronted many
times by the demands of my students, for authentic historical information about the Pueblo people. As a Pueblo
man of Walatowa, I feel that Indian people have a duty
and a challenge to write their own history. Thus, the
task of writing about Pueblo history has been the consequence of impelling forces, as well as a labor of love.”
Joe was born during a time when federal policy
and laws prohibited the practice of Indian religion and
speaking Native languages was forbidden. It was a time
when the federal government was attempting to transform traditional governments into constitutional governments. He would later say, with a chuckle, “it was not a
good time to be an Indian”. Joe was the product of the
Santa Fe Indian School, a boarding school established
to ‘kill the Indian to save the man’ He became one of
the first Pueblo college graduates and, later, was given an
honorary doctorate, by the University of New Mexico,
for his outstanding scholarly writings on Pueblo history.
His life journey is an extraordinary story of resilience
and perseverance.
It was where he grew up, the people with whom he
grew up, the period in which he grew up that made Dr.
Joe Sando such an extraordinarily profound individual.
It was the recognition of those traditional core values,
which defined his life, that gave Dr. Sando such a rich
depth to his articulation, his reflections and his perspectives about Pueblo people, their culture and history.
With his writings and teachings, he followed in
the footsteps of his Pueblo teachers. With his work, he
touched people from all walks of life, in ways that have
created opportunities for a common understanding and
appreciation of our contributions to our humanity. By
and through his work, he inspired many young people
and created a family of extraordinary teachers, across
many disciplines. We will greatly miss his presence but,
with his passing, he has left an indelible and enduring
Dr. Joe Sando
challenge, to each of us, to contribute to the survival of
our way of life. As he expressed his appreciation to me,
for writing the forward in his book of Pueblo Nations,
he wrote, “Pueblo people will survive because of people
like you.” I interpreted that not for me personally, but for
all of us to ask ourselves, “How will I contribute to the
survival of our people?”
Joe taught us that using the gifts of the Creator and
consciously contributing to sustaining our way of life is
the way in which we honor all those who came before
us. He lived his life fulfilling that sacred trust, using the
gifts of the Creator and reminding us all of our responsibilities to all those yet to be born. We ask his spirit to
guide us, as we walk in his footsteps. He was, to all of
us, a great teacher and an inspiration. ✦
(Regis Pecos, Cochiti Pueblo, graduated from Princeton
University, in 1977, with a major in History and is a retired
Princeton University Trustee and author.)
Joe was born during a time when federal policy and laws prohibited the practice
of Indian religion and speaking Native languages was forbidden.
9
Admission Possible
Removing Educational Barriers for
Native American Citizens of FederallyRecognized Tribes
by Bridget Neconie
Admission & Recruitment Specialist
University of California - Berkeley
W
hen Proposition 209 passed in 1996, California’s
public universities were banned from using race,
ethnicity and gender in undergraduate admission
selection. Professional admission application readers were,
by law, no longer allowed to consider the race, ethnicity or
gender of an applicant when selecting students for admission to Berkeley, then other public institutions followed
and implemented similar bans. The number of students
applying to Berkeley continues to rise each year; currently,
there are more than 55,000 freshman applications. Berkeley accepts about 10,000 freshman students each year, for
an entering class of about 4,000. Disadvantaged students
must have the courage and the encouragement to apply
but, most importantly, must be academically competitive to
gain admission. The same merit-based criterion applies to
any highly selective university. Due to the limited number of admissions spaces at Berkeley, students who are
disadvantaged and face academic barriers are less competitive, particularly when weight is placed heavily on the
numerical academic indicators. The majority of students
applying and admitted to UC Berkeley achieve near the
average, un-weighted GPA of 3.8 and average composite
SAT Reasoning score of 2031. The highest possible grades
in numerous college prep courses and perfect SAT/ACT
test score, especially in the engineering sciences, makes
it nearly impossible to admit students who meet only the
minimum eligibility requirements.
In the freshman selection process, each applicant’s
academic profile is compared to the entire pool of applicants. They are also compared to other applicants from
their school and viewed in the context of their own education environment. An applicant who comes from a college-going culture and well-resourced school has the best
chance of being admitted. Low income, first generation
students, attending a school that doesn’t offer AP or high-
10
er level courses, usually do not fare well in the selection
process. The elimination of Affirmative Action in higher education, with nothing to take its place, has sharply
decreased the admission numbers of disadvantaged
minority populations and women, in male dominated disciplines. Affirmative Action was designed to correct historical discrimination toward women and people of color
by leveling the playing field. Proposition 209 challenged
our ability to take into account systematic and governmental policies of institutionalized racism toward Native
American students seeking an education from one of the
top public schools in the nation. All over the Nation,
Native American students continue to reach their higher
education goals but, in California, Native American students heard the sound of the UC door closing loudly and
clearly – the unfriendly message of denial and disregard.
Over the past fifteen years, UC admissions readers have moved toward a more holistic approach, called
Comprehensive Review, when selecting students.
According to the official data, the numbers of Native
American student applicants continue to rise (as expected from the growth in overall applications). The students who do get admitted and enroll in the fall (some in
Spring) also seem to be on the rise; there is a noted spike
this year – the focus of this article, but the numbers are
still so low it’s dreadful. The most recent numbers reveal
that the number of Native American students affiliated
with a federally-recognized tribe is much lower than the
total number reported. (See Charts, page 12) The reality is that an Native American applicant, who identifies
only as Native American and can verify that they are an
enrolled member of a US federally-recognized tribe and
who is fortunate enough to receive an offer of admission
and, ultimately, chooses to attend Berkeley, if he or she
can afford it, has become a rare breed.
The amount of attention placed on the ethnic
numbers and responsibility placed on admission professionals, to address and respond to the low numbers,
has led to the further examination of the process of collecting and reporting of Native American student data
across the entire ten campuses within the UC system.
At the request of the UC American Indian Counselor
& Recruiters Association (AICRA), the UC Office of
the President began collecting additional tribal information from applicants using the newly designed UC
Fall 2010 Online Application. Some useful information
was revealed about the entering class of fall 2011 and
the numbers of Native American freshman and transfer
applicants numbers are broken down into sub-categories.
The data, now being systematically collected, are subsets
of Native American undergraduate students who are: 1.
federally-recognized, 2. state-recognized and 3. other/
unknown. The first year of official numbers confirms
what UC admission, outreach and the Native American
campus community have long suspected; students are
being misguided when reporting their personal information and do not understand the implications, ramifications, consequences and complications by incorrectly
identifying themselves as Native American. The policies,
politics and process for collecting and reporting data,
particularly of Native Americans, requires further discussion, in-depth understanding of tribal status and a
certain level of tolerance when discovering some of the
motives of students claiming Native American status.
Since all applicants to UC self-identify ethnicity on
the application, anyone and everyone can claim Native
American heritage and ancestry on their UC application. The result is inflated numbers, non-Natives being
counted and sometimes becoming the recipient of services, scholarships, time and resources allocated, under
a false premise, directly intended for Native American
tribal members. The inflated number complicates and
confuses those with a vested interest in reaching out and
working with Native American students. The intention
is to provide and appropriate judiciously, the limited
amount of resources available, directly to those students
who possess a cultural affinity as active tribal members,
not to those falsely or incorrectly claiming Native American heritage in an attempt to access preferential treatment, financial resources and any other benefits.
In an effort to learn more about and locate the admitted Native American students, phone banking sessions,
email campaigns and social networking opportunities are organized annually to reach every student. It is
surprising that students make mistakes when they selfidentify on the application. Some have said that it was
an error, they did not intend to select the Native American box or, mistakenly, took that to mean anyone born
in America. Immigrant students from India will occasionally identify as Native American/American Indian,
since they are “Indian American.” Students have also
explained that a relative happened to mention that there
is some Native American blood in their family lineage
from way back, on their great, great grandparent’s side,
but they don’t know which tribe and cannot access the
information, for a variety of reasons. Students say they
do not intend to mislead and hope that, by identifying as
Native American, they would not create a problem with
their application for admission because their tribal identify cannot be verified. There is at least one high school
counselor who said that they advise all students to claim
Native American. The “box checker tribe” is a common
issue, often discussed among admission professionals
working at colleges and universities.
The diversity landscape at the university has
changed dramatically over the past 15 years. The sad,
alarming reality is that Native Americans students,
faculty and staff no longer create a critical mass on the
Berkeley campus; student leaders are less visible; there
are fewer active participants, in departments, in the
classroom, in the labs, conducting research, to the point
of a population so diminished that Native American’s
in certain disciplines no longer exist and Berkeley has
fewer graduates. Consequently, the Native American
voice is no longer present or being heard when decisions
that affect the population are being made. The ability
for Native American students to thrive as citizens of sovereign nations is being largely ignored and students are
steered away from so called “ethnic silos” and into the
multiculturalism model. Native Americans continue to
rely on the non-Native friends and support from the
Multicultural Student Development Center, under the
Office of Equity and Inclusion. This often feels obligatory and difficult to sustain when there is no full-time
Native American staff person in the lead. Not surprising,
but nevertheless troubling, there has been a rise on campus in discrimination, racial incidents, an unwelcome
feeling, increased use of stereotyping and a throwback to
the general lack of understanding of the Native Americans tribes in America.
The Office of Student Research, which collects and
reports data, indicates that there are currently about 120
Native American undergraduate students enrolled on the
Berkeley campus, but staff and faculty often ask ,”where
are they and why are they not involved?” What has been
an ongoing mystery to many is who are they and why
Continued on page 13
11
Tips for Filling out the Ethnic-Tribal Status
Portion of the UC Application
Many students, who are not familiar with applying to college, or just not thinking about how ethnic
data is collected, will tend to report their Native American ethnicity or tribal status incorrectly.
This part of the application is no longer optional but the information gets blocked from the readers.
✓ Students must select one or more of the ethnic choices.
✓ If students would like the UC to consider their status as an
enrolled member of a federally-recognized tribe, they must
select from a list of tribes from a pull down menu of all 568
tribes recognized by the US government; then include their
tribal enrollment number in the space provided.
✓ Students should know what tribe they represent, if their tribe
is federally or state-recognized and if they are enrolled and recognized by their tribe. They should not guess if they do not
know.
✓ If the student is an enrolled member of a United States federally-recognized tribe, provide the student’s tribal enrollment
number if you would like your status to be taken into consideration. Do not make up a number or list someone else’s enrollment number.
a tribe that is in the process of getting federally-recognized or
being enrolled.
✓ If student is enrolled in a US non federally-recognized tribe or
non US tribe, select “other” and write in the name of the tribe.
✓ Check only Native American, if you strongly identify with
your tribal community, if you want to be counted only as
Native American for statistical purposes.
✓ If you select multiple ethnic boxes, there is a hierarchy of
numbers and alpha order that will determine in which ethnic
group you will appear. For example, if a student selects Native
American and White, they are counted in the Native American numbers, if a student selects Native American and African
American they will be reported as African American.
✓ Most tribes allow its citizens to be enrolled in only one tribe.
✓ Use of federal recognition status includes those of mixed race,
as long as they can verify proof of enrollment in a federallyrecognized tribe.
✓ Student should report their current status, at the time the
application is being submitted, even if student is a member of
✓ Indicate that you would like to receive notices of resources and
opportunities targeted toward Native Americans.
University of California-Systemwide 2010
New American Indian Applicants
Freshman
Applicants
Admits
Rate
2,180
1,333
61.1%
Applicants Who Only Selected
American Indian as their Ethnicity
Freshman
Applicants
Admits
Rate
128
71
55.5%
2011 UC Systemwide Freshman and Transfer Numbers Reported,
Chart reflects precisely numbers of how students identified on the
UC undergraduate online application.
Federal percentage includes those with and without federal
enrollment numbers.
Number of Native American students from 19962011 Lowest was 14 in 1998 (2 years post Prop 209)
Highest at 33 this year, 2011.
Native Applicants by Tribal Membership
0%
State percentage includes tribes considered federally-recognized.
(“AIGC became aware of the process mentioned in this article as
one that may be a model or framework for other institutions or
systems. AIGC has been questioning “how we count American
Indian and Alaska Native students”, for several years, and this is
just one response to that question. For questions regarding the
information contained in this article, please see the links at the end
of the article or contact Ms. Neconie directly.”)
12
Federal
21%
Other
66%
State
13%
Admission Possible
do applicants only identify as Native American on their
college application, but in no other instances, like the
SATs? A college application may be the first time that a
student declares their Native American heritage. Coincidently and conveniently, students and parents “find out”
they have Native American heritage, exactly when it is
time to go to college.
In the meantime, great lengths are being made to
extend the areas of recruitment, to encourage more applicants to submit an application, and to apply pressure to
increase the level of college preparation programs, making applicants more competitive in the process. Admissions is allowed to take contextual information into
consideration: special circumstances; academic achievement, in light of the challenges and barriers a student
faces, such as low income; first generation college student; from a single parent household; attending low performing schools or with compound disadvantages. UC
implemented statewide guaranteed admission policies
and campus-yield efforts were increased. All of the other
information a student submits is looked at more closely
and included in the comprehensive review of each applicant. Still, the admitted numbers of Native American
enrolling to UC Berkeley, one of the most competitive
public schools in the Nation, could not rebound to levels
achieved prior to Proposition 209.
As a result of low numbers of Native American
students enrolling, UC staff members who formed the
American Indian Counselor Recruiters Association
(UCAICRA) asked if the colleges and schools within the
UC system could consider the political status of tribal
members, as citizens of sovereign nations, as a plus factor
in admissions that could, and should, be included alongside the entire breadth of admission criteria.
The result is that UC Berkeley and other UC campuses can now include tribal status within the context of
Criteria 13, which states that, ‘Academic accomplishment
within life experiences: Life experiences include but are not
limited to disability, low family income, first generation to
attend college, need to work and other special circumstances’.
This is not considered a change to the policy,
but rather a broadening definition of Comprehensive
Review that can be included when ‘evaluating academic
achievements in light of the opportunities available and
demonstrated capacity to contribute to the intellectual life
of UC campus’.
Students applying to Berkeley should provide the
full context of their personal experiences, their tribal
environment, acquired knowledge and heritage, as it pertains to the application, as an important aspect of their
education and academic pursuits. How they list their
tribal involvement and how they speak about their life
experiences can add additional value to their application.
This is a critical time and a constructive step in the
right direction for UC Admissions to begin collecting
additional information on the application and asking
self-identifying Native American applicants to include
their federal enrollment number, particularly if they
would like admissions to take their political status into
consideration. It sends a positive message of recognizing
the contribution of Native American students in higher
education. This is a new beginning. The use of federal
recognition, as a political status, and use of tribal enrollment number, as a plus factor, is not based on ethnicity
or race; it narrowly defines and identifies a category of
the Native Americans within the entire pool of applicants. The use of federal recognition status is a tailored
and direct approach that has been reviewed and confirmed by the faculty governance Board of Admission
and Relations (BOARS), with schools that approved
the consideration of federal recognition status. BOARS
has concluded that implementing a “plus factor” in UC
admissions, for American Indian students who are members of federally-recognized tribes, is consistent with
both the letter and the intent of UC’s Comprehensive
Review Guidelines. There is a clear and legal basis to distinguish between racial/ethnic classification and a member of a federally-recognized tribe. This clarification of
the UC admission criteria meets the strict legal scrutiny,
as reviewed in the opinion of UC legal counsel. The use
of federal recognition status, as a plus factor in admissions, achieves a necessary and compelling government
purpose. It could withstand any argument that aims to
infringe upon the sovereign rights of tribes, citing the
US Constitution and 100 years of federal policy treaties,
federal Indian law, Federal Acts, executive orders and
confirmations.
Since Native American tribes are recognized by the
US government, as sovereign nations with enrolled membership, this can and should be verified by contacting
the tribe and/or by asking the student to submit official
supporting documentation in a variety of forms. Private
schools are known to use a “heritage form” for gathering additional information about an applicant. Chances
are, students could be asked to provide supporting documentation from their tribe in the form of an official
Certificate Degree of Indian Blood issued by the tribe. If
students cannot prove their identity claim, this is considered unethical. The Native American population is the
only group in American that tends to experience systematic fraudulent behavior. Claiming to be Native American
has become such a common and accepted practice that,
13
Admission Possible
recently, the American Bar Association began to require
verification of the identity of Native American applicants.
(See ABA Resolution article on page 15)
There is a crisis in America when tribal members,
whose ancestors have already paid for their education in
advance, in exchange for land and natural resources, fail
to access, to compete or chooses to navigate away from
the narrowing path to the dream school of their choice.
Discrimination of Native Americans continues and any
set of unfortunate circumstances beyond the student’s
control will ensure that higher education, at a premier
institution, becomes further and further out of reach.
The main goals and intentions for admission and
recruitment professionals are to continue improving the
conditions and policies that will have not only an immediate consequence but, also, a long lasting effect far into
the future. Berkeley has less than a 1% Native American
student population, out of 35,000 total students. Admission space and opportunities are becoming much more
valuable and competitive, budgets are stretched, funds
redistributed, priorities shift and campus climates are
becoming politically volatile. Admissions professionals
cannot just simply continue to wait for the K-12 school
system to improve or for better teachers and counselors
to provide better college preparation. Indian country
cannot afford to lose a single student or lose another generation of future leaders.
UC American Indian Counselor Recruiters Association (AICRA) will continue to work, in partnership with
the UC Office of the President, to gather additional information to gain further understanding and begin a new era
of data collection. Gathering more data can only help to
further understand Native American students and how
best to direct and allocate time and resources, which can
increase the admission and graduation numbers, and continue to learn how to better respond to the needs of all
students and the entire campus community. By providing
informative, interesting and compelling reasons and discussions, we contribute to the collective knowledge. We
can only hope this is just the beginning and these actions
will help in achieving meaningful gains. ✦
For additional information and reports, visit UC data:
www.Statfinder.ucop.edu
www.ucop.edu/ucophome/uwnews/stat
www.ucaicra.org
NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING STUDENT FOR THE
GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Scholarships for our Future Leaders
Eligibility Criteria Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they: Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American; Are a citizen, national or legal permanent resident of the United States; Have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED; Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2012 as a full‐time, degree‐seeking, first‐
year student. First time college enrollees can also be a GED recipients; Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extra‐curricular, or other activities, and Meet the Federal Pell Grant eligibility criteria; Have completed and submitted all three require forms: the student’s application (Nominee Personal Information Form), an evaluation of the student’s academic record (Nominator Form) and an evaluation of the student’s community service and leadership activities (Recommender Form) by the deadline. Simon Chief Northern Arizona University "As a Gates Millennium Scholar, I have been afforded many opportunities to grow personally and professionally. GMS has made the impossible possible” To schedule a GMS presentation at your school or in your community for 2012, visit www.aigcs.org
or contact The American Indian Graduate Center Scholars 3701 San Mateo Blvd NE #200 Albuquerque, NM 87110 (866) 884‐7007 • [email protected]
• GMS Partner for American Indians & Alaska Natives • UNCF–the United Negro College Fund–is the administrator of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS).
14
Press Release
Aba Adopts Policy to Curb
Box-Checking
PRESS RELEASE - August 15, 2011
A
s the result of urging by the National Native
American Bar Association (NNABA), the
American Bar Association (ABA) has adopted
a policy of encouraging the Law School Admissions
Council (LSAC) and ABA-accredited law schools to
require additional information of applicants who indicate that they are Native American in order to curb
the occurrence of “box-checking” whereby an applicant misrepresents that he or she is Native American.
In order to address this problem, the entire Native
American legal community was united in its proposed
solution – reflected in the new ABA policy – which is to
urge the LSAC and ABA-approved law schools to require
additional information for individuals who indicate on
their applications for testing or admission that they are
Native American, including requesting their tribal citizenship, tribal affiliation or enrollment number, and/or
a “heritage statement” in order to avoid ethnic and identification misrepresentation and to provide more accurate statistics regarding Native American test takers and
applicants for law school admission
Because of the supplying of false information on law
school and testing applications, recent statistics do not
accurately reflect the number of Native Americans who
attend or graduate law school. To highlight this issue,
one only need compare Native American graduation
rates with census data. From 1990-2000, ABA-accredited law schools reported graduating over 2,600 Native
Americans. During the same time period, the U.S. Census only reported an increase of just over 200 Native
American attorneys (from 1,502 to 1,730).
“Passage of this policy has been an important goal
of NNABA for several years because of the unique legal
status of Native Americans and the importance of culture and heritage to tribal communities,” said Patty
Ferguson-Bohnee, President of NNABA. “We are heartened that the ABA adopted our common-sense solution
which continues the practice of self-identification and
self-reporting by the applicant.”
“The ABA’s unanimous adoption of this policy
demonstrates that this issue is not only important to the
Native American community but the entire legal community,” said Mary L. Smith, President-Elect of the
NNABA. “This issue concerns, as a bedrock matter, ethics and professionalism. When a prospective law student
completes his or her law school application, it is the first
paperwork that he or she will complete in the journey
to becoming a lawyer, and honesty is required. We also
know that there are not enough students of color in the
pipeline, particularly Native American students. And,
as a result of supplying false information, we are overreporting the number of Native Americans graduating
law school. We need to work even harder to get Native
Americans students in the pipeline.”
Adoption of this policy by law schools on their
admissions applications will make these applications
consistent with the additional question of tribal affiliation included on the U.S. Census form.
The National Native American Bar Association
(NNABA) is the national association of Native American attorneys, judges, law professors and law students.
NNABA represents the interests of Native American
attorneys across the country and 9 active local chapters. NNABA is an organization that strives to provide
a voice, forum, and professional development for Native
American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian attorneys as well as promote tribal sovereignty and equality
for Native Nations.
American Bar Association Resolution
RESOLVED, That the American Bar Association urges
the Law School Admissions Council and ABA-approved
law schools to require additional information from individuals who indicate on their applications for testing
or admission that they are Native American, including
Tribal citizenship, Tribal affiliation or enrollment number, and/or a “heritage statement.” ✦
15
The Rainer Scholarship
Christine Nelson and Jake Roberts Named
as 2011-2012 Rainer Fellowship Recipients
T
he Rainer Fellowship was established in memory of
John Rainer (Taos Pueblo), Co-founder and first
director of the American Indian Graduate Center. When he was sent to boarding school at age thirteen,
John spoke only his Native language. Yet, at a time when it
was rare to find Indians with a college degree, he persevered,
ultimately earning a Master’s degree in education from USC
in 1951. Holding prestigious positions, such as Director of
the National Congress of American Indians, Chairman of
the All Indian Pueblo Council and Director of the New
Mexico Commission of Indian Affairs, demonstrates his dedication to improving the quality of life and creating opportunities for Native Americans. His advocacy for education
included participating in a Senate Budget Committee field
hearing on science and math education and testifying before
the Senate and House Appropriations Sub-Committees on
Interior Affairs.
Recipients of the Rainer Fellowship are charged with
following John Rainer’s path, by using their education and
career as tools for giving back to their communities—a logical assignment for this year’s recipients, given their history
of volunteerism. They are already following John Rainer’s
advice, “Get the best possible training you can.”
Since the Rainer Fellowship is designed to reward the
qualities and commitment characteristics of a future Indian
leader, a portion of the award is designated to support participation in a voluntary activity that affords an opportunity
to develop leadership skills.
Advocating for Education
by Christine Nelson
Y
á’át’ééh. Shi eiyá Christine Nelson yinishyé. Tólání
dine’é éí nishlí. Naaneesht’ézhi dine’é bá shíshchíín.
Totádi éí shigan. Greetings! My name is Christine Nelson and I am from the Navajo and Laguna tribes.
Seven years ago, I accepted my first professional
position in the field of higher education. This opportunity gave me a chance to share my belief in post-secondary
education and witness the challenges Native American
students face as future college students. As a first generation college student, I never believed I would be on the
academic track of completing a doctorate degree. When
I completed my 4-year degree, I thought my goal of
education was complete. I was interested in finding my
place in society, but my direction was not defined. It was
not until I began working, as an admissions counselor at
a tribal college, that I realized I could be an advocate for
education in Native American communities. On a daily
basis, young students would ask me questions about college, but one young man impacted me forever. He quietly asked, with amazement and disbelief, “I could go to
16
college?” At that moment, I
realized that, if I shared my
“educational” story, I could
encourage others to pursue
higher education.
In addition to inspiring
the Native American youth,
being a doctoral student
comes with another layer of
opportunity. As I explore Christine Nelson
my research interests in
Native American higher education, I know that scholarly
research can positively influence other educators about
the Native American students’ experiences. It is my goal
to share my research with others, so that Native American students will not be an invisible student population.
Through my schooling, I understand that my educational and career goals overlap. Being a doctoral student is
spectacular; it is like the apprenticeship to my career in
higher education administration. As a doctoral student,
I currently hold a graduate position in Early Academic
Outreach, at the University of Arizona (UA), and am a
coordinator for the Native American Science & Engineering Program (NASEP). Through NASEP, our office
is able to provide resources and inspiration for Native
American high school students, who plan to attend college and pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematic (STEM) fields.
When I was notified of the Rainer Fellowship
award, I knew that my community programming
would involve NASEP participants and supporters.
The NASEP Holiday and Networking Party brought
together high school students and their families, current
university undergraduate and graduate students and university professional staff and faculty. A total of 28 people
attended this event and it was a great opportunity to
catch up with current and past NASEP students, within a social environment. Attendees made holiday ornaments, ate plenty of refreshments and participated in a
‘White Elephant’ gift exchange. The event concluded
with a UA graduate student and a UA faculty member
sharing their educational experiences. Both encouraged
the younger students to continue working toward their
goals. This party had three main objectives. First, gather
Native American high school students and remind them
of their goal of becoming college students. Second, to
remind all those, who graduated from high school, not
to forget where they come from and to remember that
they serve as role models for the next generation of
Native American leaders. The last objective was to have
fun. The end of the semester can be very stressful for
everyone and it is important to take a break, laugh and
share stories. Attaining any sort of education, particularly a post-secondary education, can feel like an individualistic pursuit, but I hope that the NASEP Holiday
and Networking Party was a reminder, for all those who
attended, that we are here to support each other and
inspiration comes from various sources. Ahe’hee.
Personal Responsibility
by Jake Roberts
I
am a Muscogee (Creek) graduate student, currently
pursuing a Master’s degree in Community Counseling,
at Oklahoma State University (OSU). I am very honored
and humbled to receive the 2011-2012 American Indian
Graduate Center’s Rainer Scholarship. Reflecting on my
experiences with leaders, I have realized how blessed I am
to have family, friends and mentors, who have exemplified
the qualities of true leadership. In particular, the leadership quality that has been most influential, in my role as a
leader, has been personal commitment to my family, community and American Indian people. These individuals
have consistently demonstrated personal family and community responsibility and have helped shape me into the
leader that I am. These individuals have also taught me to
understand that personal growth and learning are lifelong
processes that are beneficial to a good leader.
This past year, I have realized the extent of personal
responsibility. As a graduate student, I am engaged in
multiple activities ranging from attending class to working at my practicum site and researching my thesis topic,
American Indian work values. These educational pursuits
require a significant amount of personal time that some-
times coincides with family
events. This often leaves a student to choose between schoolwork and family events. In this
regard, I have grown to understand the balance between the
responsibilities I have towards
my family and my education.
I believe a good leader mainJake Roberts
tains their commitments to
their family, while also maintaining their commitment to
other endeavors, such as the pursuit of higher education.
Personal responsibility to my community is a leadership quality that I have fully embraced these past few
years. I believe that it is vital to extend my skills and
abilities to help the community in which I live. As a
student at OSU, I have been involved with many extracurricular activities, organizations and programs within
the Stillwater community. Each of these experiences
has provided a sense of accomplishment, yet the most
17
Forty Years of Friendship
Helen Maynor Scheirbeck —
Lumbee Extraordinary
by W. J. Strickland
W
here do I start/begin my story of over 40 years
of association with Helen? I first meet Helen
during the days of infancy of the Lumbee
Development Regional Association, better known as
(LRDA), in 1968. I was the First President and, when
she was visiting Lumbee land, Helen would come to our
monthly Board of Director’s meetings to offer support/
guidance to our emerging tribal entity.
The mission of LRDA was to continuously assess
the needs of Indian people and others in our service
area, work to improve the quality of life, develop and/
or obtain resources to fill the gap in the ongoing provision of social, health, economic, housing, education, job
development and training services, to meet the needs of
Lumbee tribal members in 18 various communities.
Helen’s advice and guidance was always encouraging
and informative towards the accomplishment of LRDA’s
mission. In those early days, funding was very limited
for non-federally recognized tribes.
My next association with Helen was 1972, during
the historic conference that resulted in the formation
of the Coalition of Eastern Native Americans (CENA)
where, for the first time in history, non-federally recognized tribes came together for a common cause. This
conference was hosted by the Native American Rights
Fund and was attended by over 120 Eastern Indian
groups, who joined together to form the first ever organization for Native Americans tribes that lived east of
the Mississippi River. I moved my family from North
Carolina to Washington, D.C. to become the first Executive Director for CENA. Helen already lived in the
Washington, D.C. area and welcomed us into her home
on many occasions over many years.
Later, in the mid 70s, I supported and assisted
Helen during her tenure and involvement with the
American Indian Policy Review Commission, along
with another fellow Lumbee, Jo Jo Hunt. Helen was the
Chair for the Indian Education Task Force and Jo Jo
18
Helen Maynor Scheirbeck
was the Chair for the Urban and Non-Federally Recognized Indians Task Force.
My next association with Helen was in the early 80’s
and 90’s, with United Indians of America.United Indians of America was a replacement voice for non-federally
recognized Indians and Helen and I traveled mostly to
South Carolina and Virginia to assist tribes and Indian
organizations seeking state recognition.
In March 1995, I started my journey as a federal
employee and Helen was, once again, there to assist and
guide me. I became a Program Specialist and she was
the Branch Chief for the American Indian and Alaska
Native Program Branch of the Head Start Bureau, within the Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
Dept. of Health and Human Services.
It goes without saying that my experiences as a Program Specialist, from 1995 until the present day, have
been the highlight of my professional career. Needless to
say, Helen and I had the best of times, as well as many
challenges with tribal grantees. Helen’s leadership and
many years of previous experience served the public well
in meeting the many challenges and opportunities that
faced the American Indian and Alaska Native Program
Branch to provide high quality services to the children
and families of over 150 tribes in 26 states.
Helen and I were able to work side by side for 12
years at Head Start and made many memorable trips to
visit tribes during those years. She was always respectful of the tribes that hosted our visits, while balancing
the needs of helping them to be in compliance with the
federal regulations for the program. She was diplomatic,
compassionate and firm when she needed to be.
I served with Helen until June 30, 2007, after which
she accepted the crown jewel of her career as the Associate Director for Community Services for National
Museum of the American Indian.
The following recollection by Elaine Shea, a colleague and friend, is only one example of the impact that
Helen made on each tribe/person/staff associated with
her work as the Branch Chief of the American Indian
Alaska Native Program Branch.
Helen was a dear friend and mentor. She knew
everyone and had friends everywhere! When we travelled
to the smallest outposts in the Alaska Bush and throughout
Indian Country, she ran into friends and old chums. She
was both active and accomplished in her pursuits. There
was a time when the rest of the Head Start team in Metlakatla went about the business at hand and Helen scoped
out neighborhoods completing a community assessment on
her own. Another time, when the two of us were in Hoonah
and Head Start staff left us, bitter cold weather approached
- too windy for flights - and Dr. Scheirbeck said to me, “We
may only have the option of leaving here on a ferry tonight;
shall I bring my thermos filled with hot water?” She was
always able to perk up even the most challenging moments,
lifting them with her ready smile, laugh and positive
thoughts. That particular time, we got a call from the pilot
who swooped down in Hoonah saying we had one chance
to get out and get ready quick because we had weather! We
both ran for the flight, which flew sideways out of the village, with both of us hanging on tight.
Dr. Scheirbeck was a fearless champion of young children and education. Once, she arrived with a broken foot
while visiting Navajo Nation; she never gave up the fight.
Rather, she continued on with her steely reserve, twinkle in
her eye and sweet smile. Dr. Scheirbeck was a wonderful
friend and mentor – I am so blessed to have known her. I
will always remember her warm friendship and those special times.
Little did I know in 1968 that our lives would
unfold both professionally and personally. Helen was a
true friend and comrade to the Strickland family. She
was always interested in how my wife, Barbara, and each
of the children, Alaric, Carmelia, Caleb and Tabitha,
as well as the grandchildren, Daniel, Dakota, Brianna,
Skyler, Makalya, Tristan and Chloe were doing all during the more than 40 years of friendship.
I am truly humbled and honored to have been a
friend and co-worker with one of the Twentieth Century’s Most Significant American Indian leaders. ✦
The Ranier Scholarship
Continued from page 17
rewarding experience has been the Native American
Resiliency through Education and Leadership Program
(NARELP). As a NARELP mentor, I have provided
mentorship, information and guidance to my undergraduate student mentee. In summary, I believe a good
leader uses their knowledge, skills and abilities to benefit
their community.
Lastly, personal responsibility to American Indian
people is a key characteristic that I believe is essential for
a good leader. Using the skills, abilities and knowledge
that I have gained from my education has the potential
to impact American Indian people in numerous ways.
I believe it is incumbent upon me, as a member of the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, to use the knowledge gained
through my studies to serve American Indian and Creek
people in a capacity that benefits them as a whole. This
past year, I have been given the opportunity to teach
Creek Nation Youth and public school students about
a traditional game called stickball. It was an incredible
experience teaching youth about aspects of their culture.
I believe a good leader remembers and gives back to their
American Indian community, so that future generations
will be afforded greater opportunities, while maintaining a strong cultural identity. I am honored and grateful to accept the Rainer Scholarship and thankful for the
opportunities it will provide. ✦
19
Bridging the Healthcare Gap
A.T. Still University of Health
Sciences Leads the Way
Recruiting and Training American Indian
Health Professionals
by Dr. Carol Grant, Director
A.T. Still University’s National Center for American Indian Health Professions
L
aunched in 2007, A.T. Still University’s National
Center for American Indian Health Professions
was created to address the healthcare gap between
Native communities and the general population. It is the
only graduate healthcare university program of its kind.
The Center was a natural outgrowth of A.T. Still University’s mission to serve the underserved and a natural
fit with the large Native population in Arizona and its
neighboring states. Founded in 1892, the university prepares students for careers in 14 different healthcare specialties, including medicine, dentistry and physical and
occupational therapy. The university encourages and
prepares future graduates to work with communities in
need, including those whose populations have little or no
healthcare insurance or access to healthcare services.
The Center’s Arizona location is ideal. The state is
home to 21 federally-recognized tribes, whose 250,000
members live in tribal communities or on tribal lands,
comprising 25% of the state’s territory. Another 282,000
Natives live in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
Native communities suffer from severe healthcare
problems and acute provider shortages. Indian Health
Services (IHS), the federal government’s comprehensive
healthcare system for indigenous people, can serve only
40% (1.9 million of 4.6 million) of American Indians
and Native Alaskans. Its current vacancy rate for essential positions is 12%. The result of these shortages is
predictable. American Indians and Alaska Natives have
a life expectancy that is five years shorter than their
Caucasian counterparts and some of the nation’s highest incidences of chronic illnesses. They are 60% more
likely to have a stroke than Caucasian Americans, a 17%
higher rate of diabetes and a 20% higher rate of heart
20
disease than any other racial or ethnic group. They are
also more likely than non-Hispanic whites to lose an
infant to SIDS (200%), low birth weight or complications from congenital malformations (30%).
The obvious solution would seem to be to increase
the number of healthcare providers working in these communities. According to a 2011 article in the New England Journal of Medicine, physicians who are members of
minority groups are more likely to practice in underserved
communities because they are intricately woven into the
social fabric of those communities. Native healthcare providers have greater success in these communities than nonNative providers because the former are “able to deliver
care that is needed, while offering cultural familiarity that
Native American patients will find comforting.”
Unfortunately, American Indian and Alaska Native
populations face enormous obstacles to pursuing healthcare careers. In 2004, only 98 Native students graduated from the country’s 125 accredited medical schools
and, at 0.3%, the number of Native students enrolled
in medical school is well below the number of African
Americans and Hispanic Americans.
Clearly, something is impeding Native students’ success in this arena. The task is to find out what it is and
develop systematic strategies for leveling the playing field
in graduate healthcare education.
One of the biggest obstacles to success is the 50%
average high-school dropout rate for Native students
(Faircloth & Tippeconnic, 2010). Convincing more
Native students to finish high school and attend college
is a prerequisite for encouraging them to pursue graduate education in healthcare. Unfortunately, to date,
the few outreach efforts that exist through minority-
focused, medical school summer-enrichment programs
have failed to recruit Native students (Faircloth &
Tippeconnic, 2010.
The few Native students who do graduate high school
and move on to college often feel overwhelmed and isolated by the behavioral norms of the non-Native student
populations at their schools. According to the latest data
from the Association of American Medical Colleges
(2007), Native medical students have a 4.3% attrition
rate. In 2004, only nine U.S. medical schools graduated
more than two Native students (NEJM, 2011).
A.T. Still University (ATSU) is the exception to the
rule. With 49 students, representing 22 tribes, the school
has the largest number of Native students enrolled at any
U.S. graduate healthcare university. Another 20-40 students are at some stage of the recruiting or application
process at any given time. Of the 112 U.S. Native physician assistants (American Academy of Physician Assistants, 2009), 20% have degrees from ATSU. Roughly
30% of all Native dental students are enrolled at the university and all 12 of the dental graduates work in Native
communities, including such remote locations as Barrow, AK, and Montana’s Crow Reservation.
In 2011, ATSU graduated 16 Native students – eight
physicians, three physician assistants, one audiologist,
two physical therapists, one doctor of health sciences and
one health administrator.
In 2007, A.T. Still University centralized its efforts
to bridge the gap into graduate school for Native students in the National Center for American Indian
Health Professions. Since then, the Center has taken the
lead in recruiting American Indian and Alaska Native
students and working with those already enrolled. The
work has been made possible by $500,000 in grants
from Arizona’s Gila River Indian Community (GRIC),
with which ATSU has a longstanding relationship and
a commitment to eliminating the healthcare disparity
between Native and non-Native communities.
An initial GRIC grant of $300,000 funded the hiring of a full-time director for the Center and the launch
of its first program, Bridging the Gap. The program supports (and, subsequently, follows) Native applicants during and after the application process by:
• Providing scholarships for graduate-entrance-exam
prep courses, when needed.
• Advocating for students whose GPAs or histories may
not accurately reflect their academic potential.
• Offering, through Talking Circles and one-on-one
conversations, support and opportunities for cultural
connection for students feeling the pressure of “walking in two worlds.”
• Creating opportunities for Native students in different ATSU graduate healthcare programs to develop
the kind of informal networks essential for ongoing
personal and professional support.
In 2011, the National Center for American Indian
Health Professions applied for and received a second
GRIC grant, for $200,000, to fund the design and
implementation of a second program, Native Early Acceptance Team (NEAT). The name is an allusion to early
acceptance at ATSU, which Native candidates will be
encouraged to pursue.
A kind of “sequel” to Bridging the Gap, NEAT
will enable the Center to identify potential ATSU candidates, as early as high school, and connect them to
whatever academic and tribal support they may need to
graduate. Making sure to preserve the students’ strong
connection to their family and tribal roots, the Center
will help them move on to college, graduate healthcare
education at ATSU and, ultimately, careers as healers in
Native communities.
Through NEAT, the National Center for American
Indian Health Professions will:
• Create partnerships among Arizona’s tribal leaders,
tribal educators and local, state and regional higher-education and healthcare organizations (to date,
partners include the Arizona Commission on Indian
Affairs, Gateway Community College, Pathways
into Health, the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, the
Greater Valley Area Health Education Center, the
Northern Arizona Area Health Education Center
and Health Occupations Students of America).
• Work with Native communities to identify prospective ATSU students, as early as high school, and
enroll them in NEAT.
• Advise NEAT students on academic performance,
college and graduate school prerequisites and prep
courses and financial aid and scholarships.
• Connect NEAT students with support services that
will help them prepare for the academic rigors of
graduate school and the differences among Western
and traditional learning styles and social norms.
• Establish family-to-family relationships between students’ home and university communities, by facilitating mandatory visits to both ATSU and partner
organizations.
• Arrange mandatory pre-enrollment visits to ATSU
and pipeline partner organizations – building familyto-family relationships
21
The Importance of Education
Making a Difference
by Dustin Goslin
G
reetings from Minnesota! My name is Dustin
Joseph Goslin (Pam-Mbwit-M’ko) and I am a
27-year-old, proud member of the Prairie Band
of Potawatomi Nation, from Mayetta, Kansas. I am the
son of Robert Goslin Sr. (Wish-koh-nah-be), a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa,
and LaVonne Chenault-Goslin (Kaw-e-quah), a Prairie
Band Potawatomi Nation tribal member. I spent most of
my life growing up on the shores of Lake Superior near
Bayfield, Wisconsin. I recently attended graduate school
in St. Cloud, Minnesota, at the College of St. Scholastica and completed my program this past year, earning
my Master’s degree in ‘Management in Organizational
Development’. I have received numerous fellowships,
grants and scholarships for my academic performance
and community service work. One of the funding programs I received was through the American Indian
Graduate Center. I am forever grateful for this financial
aid as, without it, I would not be where I am today.
I am currently the General Manager of St. Cloud’s
new Homewood Suites by Hilton; an upscale extended-stay hotel property in St. Cloud, Minnesota. I also
recently served as a city official for the City of Waite
Park, Minnesota and volunteered with the St. Cloud,
Minnesota branch of the Social Security Administration.
I have enjoyed all of the organizations I worked with, as
each has provided me with unique perspectives.
In my management position, at the Homewood
Suites by Hilton, I supervise four managers and a staff
of approximately 45 employees in multiple divisions.
My responsibilities include hiring, training, mentoring
and managing employees to their fullest potential. I am
a strong believer in transformational leadership; which
looks to empower employees, to go above and beyond
the call of duty, by encouraging innovation and creativity. In this position, I have also assumed the task
of helping establish long-term partnerships with many
organizations and businesses in the St. Cloud area.
These partnerships help create long-term business stability and growth for the organization.
22
Dustin Goslin
I once read that a successful
leader leads with integrity, vision
and competence. I adhere to that
statement and will often recite it
in times of doubt.
This past year, I was instrumental in establishing
a partnership with the St. Cloud Area School District
742. This partnership works to provide a communitybased educational setting for disabled young adults to
observe and practice jobs and to provide mentorship
and guidance for future job placement. Over the past
few months, I have also been working with the Director of the American Indian Center at St. Cloud State
University to develop an American Indian management
internship. This new never-been-done, public-private
partnership with Hilton will give American Indian students an opportunity to develop practical business skills
and gain exposure to the corporate lodging industry.
This program is extremely important to me, as I feel
that there are not many programs like this available to
American Indian students. I am extremely excited, as I
continue to develop this program, and I hope it finds
success in the upcoming months!
Education is one of the areas of my life, for which
I am proudest, as I feel the characteristics and skills
acquired through higher education are the building
blocks for leadership roles now and in the future. With
my prominent role in a new business in St. Cloud, I was
selected to be featured as a local young professional in the
September 12, 2010 edition of the St. Cloud Times. In
that article, I stressed the importance of higher education
and its importance in tribal governments and organizations. I have been invited to speak at St. Cloud State University, on several occasions, regarding higher education,
program development, personnel management, financial
planning and other areas, with which I am familiar. I
have also been involved with the Wiconí Wasté Mentoring and College PREP high school program, with Little
Earth of United Tribes, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My involvement in this program has allowed me
the opportunity to speak with American Indian students
about the importance of graduating from high school,
while sharing with them the obstacles I have overcome
to achieve my educational goals. It is my involvement in
these types of organizations that truly helps me realize
my passion for academics.
My recent successes have not always come easy; as I
have gone through many struggles with being an American Indian leader in corporate America. Different cultures
often value different qualities in effective leaders; often
one’s own culture dictates the values or qualities that are
important in effective leaders. There are many differences
between mainstream American business leadership and
American Indian leadership, many of which are distinct
opposites. Mainstream American business leaders value
a centralized authority to enforce hierarchal leadership
models, while American Indian leaders value a decentralized approach, in which all parties have a voice in the decision. Often, mainstream American business leaders have a
tendency to see themselves as strategic individual players,
seeking to advance their own purposes, while American
Indian leaders seek to blend into the collective and value
humility and self-deprecation. As you can imagine, these
two cultures can, and do, conflict with each other. I,
however, believe that being an American Indian leader in
corporate America works well to balance me out and help
make me a stronger leader.
When I give school and community presentations,
I speak about the two sides of my personality. One side
reflects the capitalist and competitive nature of my personality. I like being on the winning team and coming
out on top. My business card states this side of my personality nicely, as “striving to exceed expectations.” I feel
this personality characteristic causes me to be a “workaholic” – I am one who, when the going gets tough, works
harder. The other side of my personality is that I am a
very caring person. I love getting involved with my community and volunteering for a purpose. I like the idea
of equality among people. I often think this side of my
personality reflects my American Indian heritage. My
leadership style is one that is passionate about driving
toward results, but not at the expense of human capital.
A mentor once told me that I clearly understand how to
work with people, but not through people.
I once read that a successful leader leads with integrity, vision and competence. I adhere to that statement
and will often recite it in times of doubt. I wish to truly
thank AIGC for your help and hope that your organization continues to build and offer opportunities to individuals, like myself, who will make a difference for our
communities and will help achieve the goals our great
nations have set. Miigwetch. ✦
23
Elouise Cobell
by Mark Ratledge, High Country News
O
n Oct. 22, Elouise Cobell was buried on the
Blacktail Ranch where she and her husband had
lived. Blackfeet and Catholic prayers were said,
and Hutterite girls sang hymns, and the Montana wind
never stopped blowing. Some thought that Napi — the
“Old Man,” the supernatural trickster, troublemaker and
ultimate helper of the Blackfeet — was present, too.
Elouise Pepion Cobell — Inokesquetee saki or Yellowbird Woman — was a member of the Blackfeet
Nation, the great-granddaughter of Mountain Chief.
She was a rancher and Blackfeet banker, a MacArthur
Foundation fellow, and, most famously, the lead plaintiff
in Cobell v. Salazar and The Department of the Interior.
When she died Oct. 16 in a Great Falls, Mont., hospice,
after a long bout with cancer, she was 65.
The Blacktail Ranch lies on the rolling prairie of the
Blackfeet Reservation, within sight of the peaks of Glacier National Park. Every time Cobell drove to Browning to work as executive director of the Native American
Community Development Corporation, she passed Starvation Ridge, where nearly one-quarter of the Blackfeet
Nation died during the winter of 1883-’84 because the
inept Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to provide treaty
rations of grain and cattle.
Cobell often flew to Washington, D.C., for her work
on Cobell v. Salazar, the largest class-action lawsuit in
U.S. history, filed in 1996 against the federal government over its mishandling of $50 billion in mineral royalties owed to tribal members. It took 15 years to resolve
the century-long mess of lost and destroyed records,
missing payments and inaccurate accounting of Indian
Trust funds. The suit persisted through the tenures of
four Interior Department secretaries: Babbitt, Norton,
Kempthorne, and finally, Salazar. It was all but settled
for $3.4 billion, awaiting congressional appropriations
— and President Obama’s signature on the law — when
she passed away.
That morning, thousands of mourners packed the
service at the Browning High School gym. The night
24
before, the Crazy Dog Society escorted the casket to the
high school for the rosary service, stopping four times to
sing and dance a warrior song, because that’s what Elouise Cobell was: a warrior in the realms of the law, the
banks and the economy of the Blackfeet Reservation.
In the afternoon at the Blacktail Ranch, people
waited in their cars out of the wind. The air was clear;
30 miles to the west, the peaks of Glacier were shrouded
in clouds dumping the first winter snow.
Funeral directors unloaded flowers next to a white
tepee, its poles squeaking in the wind, and lined up folding chairs, which the wind blew down.
Hutterite girls in bright blue and purple taffeta
dresses and scarves sheltered out of the wind on the west
side of the Cobells’ small ranch house. A yellow school
bus brought them from the nearby Birch Creek Colony,
home to a communal branch of Anabaptists. They’d
come to pay their respects along with local ranchers,
Blackfeet from across the reservation and VIPs from
Washington, D.C.
The ranch house itself had lost a few pieces of siding
and much paint to the wind over the years. (In this part
of Montana, wind blows freight trains off the tracks,
and school bus trips are cancelled not because of snow
but because the wind might topple the buses.) Cobell’s
MacArthur grant money went to the long-running legal
case, not her family’s ranch house or cattle operation.
In the lee of the house, I talked with a banker who
had driven 900 miles from Denver. He’d worked with
Cobell to form the first Native American-owned bank
in Browning in 1987, 10 years before the famous lawsuit
was filed.
A neighboring rancher offered me a pocket flask of
whiskey, joking that he couldn’t sleep unless the wind
whistled in his bedroom window. Other ranchers and Hutterite men kept their backs to the wind while they talked
about the fall harvest and shipping cattle to market.
Someone’s cell phone rang; the hearse had gotten a
flat tire at Badger Creek, a few miles up the road. People
Elouise Cobell
shook their heads. A rancher said, “With what they charge
for this, they should have all new tires.”
Then a car stopped on the highway and a TV news
cameraman climbed a small hill to point his camera up
the road. “They must be getting here,” someone said.
Two sheriff’s cars pulled in off the highway, past the
Blackfeet Nation flag flapping above the Cobells’ mailbox. The casket was in the back of a pickup truck,
secured with cargo straps. The driver pulled in close to
the folding chairs and the pallbearers carried the casket
to the graveside. People laughed; Elouise must be laughing at the flat tire, too, they said. They thought she
would be proud of this service and the way she arrived
home to her ranch.
Cobell had always loved Elvis Presley and singing
along to the car radio. The earlier service at the high
school gym had life-size Elvis cutouts behind the priest
and featured a slideshow of her visit to Graceland. Sheet
cakes from the grocery store were decorated with photos
of Elvis and Elouise. The day before, a Browning radio
station played Elvis music all day long in her honor.
There was a prayer in Blackfeet, and a drummer quietly
sang another Blackfeet warrior song, most of the words
snatched away by the wind. A cluster of Black Angus
moaned in the pasture. The priest spoke and then turned
to the two dozen Hutterite girls behind him. They sang
two hymns, words split by gusts of wind: “Over yonder,
there will be no parting, no crying. ... Rejoicing to see
our savior upon his throne. ...”
The priest sprinkled holy water on the casket, and
flowers were placed atop it. And then it was time to
lower it into the ground. The people who had laughed
about the casket’s journey in the pickup now broke down
in tears. A long line formed to greet the family. The
funeral directors started to work the dirt over the casket,
and the mourners began to drift to their cars.
I looked around for a rancher I knew who had
grown up on the nearby Two Medicine River. He knew
Cobell when they were both young. He told me later
that he saw the hearse with the flat on the highway and
stopped to offer his respects. He’d planned to attend the
burial too, he said, but he could see that Napi, the trickster, had intervened.
Perhaps Napi wanted to make a point — maybe by
keeping Elouise on earth a bit longer. Napi, however, is
foolish and impetuous and often makes a mess of things
by trying a little too hard. No one seemed surprised by
the flat tire, the humor or the sadness.
I knew Cobell only from an interview last April at
her office in Browning. I watched with a few staffers on
an office PC as court proceedings streamed from D.C.,
and then waited as Cobell made a conference call to her
attorneys, discussing strategy and quietly laughing at the
opposition’s last-minute attempts to derail the settlement.
There was a painting of Mountain Chief on her
wall. Cobell said, “Maybe I was born with my greatgrandfather Mountain Chief’s genes, and wanted to
fight for justice. And it never left my mind that you have
to stand up for what’s right.”
Mountain Chief steadfastly fought the whiskey
traders and invading homesteaders on the shrinking
25
To Play Happy
Fostering Native Youth Growth
Through Stickball and Lacrosse
by Pete R.G. Coser, Jr., MHR
Program Manager, Kathryn M. Buder Center for American
Indian Studies Washington University in St. Louis
L
Photo by Justin Giles
acrosse is a growing sport that has spread
throughout the country. It takes a lot of skill,
often being recognized as having aspects from
football, soccer and hockey, combined into one
sport. While it has continued to grow in popularity, understanding the connection between lacrosse
and the origins of lacrosse is essential in establishing a traditional health and wellness program that
will appeal to Native youth. Through a collaborative
effort, educators of this program coached and taught
modern game techniques, traditional importance
and how to balance the modern game with historical and cultural connections, which creates a fundamental, invaluable and personal relationship between
Native youth and the sport of lacrosse.
In Fall 2011, the Kathryn M. Buder Center for
American Indian Studies (BCAIS), Muscogee-Creek
Nation Museum and Cultural Center, Washington
University in St. Louis (WUSTL) Men’s Lacrosse
Team, The Stickstop Lacrosse and Field Hockey
Stickball toss
Store of St. Louis, Tulsa Youth Lacrosse Association (TYLA) and the Oklahoma State University
emonies, which describes the Creek term for stickball,
Native American Student Association Stickball Team
“afvcketv”, meaning “happiness”.
came together for a lacrosse clinic that was held at the
By fostering team spirit and a sense of identity, lacrosse
Tulsa Indian Community Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma;
and stickball can fulfill a traditional core value, by being
thirty-three children, ages eight to fourteen, participatthe “medicine game.” In an effort to demonstrate this,
ed in the clinic. The youth were engaged, as the clinic
specific goals included: providing Muscogee-Creek and
embraced the spiritual and community aspects of the
Tulsa area Native youth the education necessary to gain
traditional Creek stickball (lacrosse), and made the conan understanding of cultural identity and physical health,
nection between these beliefs and the modern day sport
by learning the histories of lacrosse and stickball, as well as
of lacrosse. During the opening session of the event, Dr.
modern lacrosse. Playing this sport; fostered team connecPete Coser, Sr., Assistant Vice President for the Center
tions, creating a sense of belonging and self-confidence,
of American Indians at Bacone College and from the
by running basic teamwork drills, and expanded national
Kvssetv Tribal Town, shared with parents, participants
youth exercise and sport programs, through experiential
and clinicians that, among the Muscogee-Creek people,
and participatory learning.
stickball teaches players about purification rites and cer-
26
Photo by Tom Schmidt, Head Coach, Washington University in St. Louis
The day began with a prayer and participants lined
up to receive a jersey, from The Stickstop. Shortly thereafter, the new lacrosse players, also known as “laxers”,
were split into smaller groups, with instructors from the
Oklahoma State University Native American Student
Association Stickball Team, and learned techniques of
playing the “social game,” a variation of stickball, in
which women play against men. Clinicians from the
WUSTL Men’s Lacrosse Team, BCAIS and the Muscogee-Creek Cultural Center and Museum distributed
lacrosse sticks that were provided by TYLA. Participants
were instructed in the techniques of scooping “groundballs”, throwing, catching, passing and shooting. The
new ‘laxers’ were excited to test the speed of their
lacrosse shots; Assistant Coach, Wayne Jaeckle, used his
radar gun to capture the speed of each shot.
At the end of the day, the coaches and players took a
group photo. The new “laxer” participants left the clinic
with enthusiasm for a sport they had never played before
and a cool, new jersey to wear at school. Coaches and
administration came away with a deep appreciation of
the sport and the potential impact on young children.
Collectively, this was a very successful clinic, as our collaborative community-based project embraced cultural
and spiritual connections of the original sport (stickball)
with modern day lacrosse.
In retrospect, as these Native children learn to balance two worldviews, American Indian and ‘mainstream,’ maintaining cultural identity is critical. During
the program, youth had an opportunity to learn and play
both traditional stickball and modern lacrosse games.
It was the exposure to cultural connections, within the
modern lacrosse, that helped the participants’ engagement playing lacrosse. Learning about the cultural connections, in different aspects, including the notion of
balance, could help these students, as they learn how
Dan Fleisher (Green Jersey), Senior Captain, Washington
University in St. Louis Men’s Lacrosse Team, teaching young
Native women about “face-offs.”
Battling for a “ground-ball”!
to maintain their cultural identity, while maneuvering
through “mainstream” society (i.e. school).
In response, one clinic participant said, “This was
really fun. Thank you for inviting me and for the coaches coming a long way. I loved it!” Another participant
stated, “I would really like to thank the coaches from St.
Louis, and the other two guys for stickball and would
like to do this again.” The lacrosse clinic sought to
engage youth in a traditional curriculum, offering spiritual, cultural, health and wellness components. Combining the efforts of the Muscogee-Creek Nation Museum
and Cultural Center, WUSTL Men’s Lacrosse Team,
Tulsa Youth Lacrosse Association, Oklahoma State University Native American Student Association Stickball
Team, The Stickstop Store and the Buder Center will
hope to strengthen the international movement to connect Indigenous youth to health and wellness programs,
utilizing a traditional sport as the mechanism. ✦
Native Ladies Lacrosse
27
Shining Stars
Oglala Sioux Tribe of the
Pine Ridge Reservation Recognizes
Educational Achievements
by Susan Duran
T
o many Americans, the Pine Ridge Reservation
of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, in South Dakota, is a
prime example of all the negative social and economic problems facing American Indians and Alaska
Natives. Yet, on one of the nation’s largest Native American reservations, four American Indian scholars have set
an educational standard that even a major metropolis
will find very difficult to match.
In 2011, four scholars, raised in the Oglala village of
Oglala, South Dakota (population 1,290, at the time of
the 2010 Census), were honored for their achievements
in graduate education. One
of the four individuals is
pursuing a Ph.D. degree in
Special Education, while
the other three received
Ph.D. degrees during 2011.
Some experts have speculated that, at least this year,
it may be the highest per
capita number of Ph.D.s
of any municipality in the
nation. These outstanding members of the Oglala
Dr. Anne Marie Cross
Sioux tribe were recognized
at the Oglala Sioux Nation
Annual Pow Wow – a first for the tribe in honoring the
educational achievements of its members.
The excitement surrounding the tribal members,
each of whom studied various disciplines, extends
beyond the Oglala Sioux Tribe and into Indian Country nationwide, bringing motivation and inspiration to
Native students with post-secondary educational aspirations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, very few
28
American Indians and
Alaska obtain a Master’s, Ph.D., medical or
law degree; just over one
percent (1%)¹, or 50,500
American Indians and
Alaska Natives have an
advanced graduate degree.
The four Oglala tribal
members honored were:
Dr. Monica One Feather
Dr. Anne Marie Cross
earned her doctorate, in
Materials Chemistry, from the University of South
Dakota in Vermillion. A graduate of Red Cloud Indian
School, a K-12 facility on the Pine Ridge Reservation,
Dr. Cross obtained a M.S. in Chemistry, in 2008, prior
to completing her doctorate program. The American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC) helped fund Dr.
Cross’s educational expenses.
Dr. Monica One Feather earned a Ph.D. in Special
Education, from the University of Arizona. Dr. One
Feather focused her studies on the impact of test accommodations, on reading performance of English language
learners.
Dr. David Sanders, also an AIGC alumnus, earned his
doctorate in Mathematics Education Curriculum and
Instruction, from the University of Colorado Boulder
School of Education. (You can read Dr. Sander’s article,
about his Ph.D. journey, in the Fall 2011 issue of The
American Indian Graduate.)
Maxine Brings Him
Back Janis is currently
enrolled in a doctoral
program, at Northern
Arizona University, in
Flagstaff, Arizona. Maxine also serves as a faculty
member, in the Dental
Hygiene Department, at
the university.
“Nationwide,
less
than 60,000 American Indian and Alaska Dr. David Sanders
Natives have an advanced
graduate degree,” said AIGC Director, Sam Deloria.
“This Oglala achievement demonstrates that Indian students are capable of successfully completing advanced
degrees of any subject – despite extreme poverty, high
unemployment and limited resources.”
Cross, One Feather, Saunders and Janis were honored during a special ceremony held at the Oglala Sioux
Nation Pow Wow. The event featured a presentation to
each of the scholars, including a specially-composed tribal song, an eagle feather and a handmade star quilt.
“The presentation of an eagle feather is the highest
honor one can receive in our community and is usually
reserved for someone who has served in the military.
These students are protecting and serving our Indian
communities equipped with knowledge of science, medicine and education,” said Fedelia Cross, the mother of
Dr. Anne Marie Cross.
There is a common denominator to these Ph.D.’s
early school years. Each of these outstanding individuals attended Loneman Day School (K-8) and Red Cloud
High School. Loneman was the first P.L. 93-638* school
in the country, setting the stage for other tribes to “638”
schools within their communities.
“When tribes ‘638’ their schools, it takes the ownership and commitment to education, within those communities, to an entirely new level. Strong community
and family support for education are game changers,”
stated Vivian Arviso, both an educator and the mother
of Dr. Monica One Feather.
As these scholars remain steadfast in their educational endeavors, the concentration of Oglala tribal
members with advanced degrees lends strength to the
argument that the community has developed a
standard of support for its
young scholars. In recent
years, the Oglala school
system made advancements
integrating parent involvement into their child’s education. With strong family
connections tied to Oglala’s
cultural values, the school
system remains commit- Maxine Brings Him
ted to implementing parent Back Janis
engagement strategies.
“Educational success among American Indian and
Alaska Native students is often connected to the community support our scholars receive,” said Sam Deloria.
“This is most evident in the success of Oglala’s members obtaining advanced graduate degrees. Hopefully,
their success can serve as an example to other tribes; we
could provide a nationwide community of support for all
current and future American Indian and Alaska Native
students during their high education pursuits. I’m also
happy to report that Red Cloud School has a high rate of
Gates Millennium Scholars. All the signs are there – our
students and tribal communities can move off the ‘worst’
lists and on to the ‘best’ lists.” ✦
“Educational success among American Indian and Alaska Native students is often
connected to the community support our scholars receive,” said Sam Deloria.
¹ U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201
* Public Law 93-638 Contracting and Compacting - Indian Trust Self-Governance and Self-Determination Programs
In the early 1970s, Congress passed the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act that allowed Indian tribes and
tribal organizations to acquire increased control over the management of federal programs that impact their members, resources
and governments. These agreements are referred to as “638 compacts and contracts.”
29
A Community Effort
by Neomi Gilmore
A
s a young girl, my mother, Neomi W. Gilmore,
encouraged me to seek an education because she
said that, through education, a community can
mobilize and advance the ways of its people. The Native
Youth Take Charge (NYTC, the provisional name for
the event), first inspired by my mother’s belief, sprung
to life after I spoke to several high school students of
the Navajo community who claimed that their high
school guidance counselors did not provide them with
enough information about college preparation. So,
I began brainstorming ways to reach out to others in
similar situations.
In my search for a solution, I observed the need for
Native American representation in various professional
fields. NYTC’s original mission was to interest high
school students in attaining a college education and help
them through the college application process. The event
focused on developing college preparation skills, such
as: how to perform well on the American College Test
(ACT); how to fill out a Federal Student Aid Financial
Assistance (FAFSA) application; how to identify colleges and scholarships and the rewarding opportunities
afforded to college students.
The coordination of NYTC took approximately a
month and half to organize. It took countless hours to
organize because the event was the first-of-its-kind project in Twin Lakes, New Mexico. This was made possible through the combined efforts of my colleagues. As
a grass roots event, it took more than 2,500 volunteer
hours and more than $1,000.00 of in-kind donations to
fulfill our goals.
Bonnie Stepleton, Esq., Assistant Dean for Student
Services at The University of New Mexico School of
Law, guided me through NYTC’s planning. Immediately following my conversations with Ms. Stepleton, I
called the Twin Lakes Chapter House to request space
to host the event. Rhonda Leonard, Community Coordinator at the Twin Lakes Chapter House, told me about
an upcoming community planning meeting and recommended that I attend to ask the Twin Lakes community
for permission to use their center.
30
Neomi Gilmore
I learned, while attending the meeting, of ways to
request monetary and in-kind contributions. While
I only sought space for the event, I gained invaluable
information from the chapter government representatives, who provided me with a list of executive directors
within particular agencies. I first wrote letters requesting
contributions and, later, followed up with faxes and telephone calls, until I received responses from those particular agencies.
The event was advertised in three ways. Derrick
James, a distinguished artist, created a punctilious flyer
exemplifying an appropriate life motto, “Life has its ups
and downs, but each step we take makes us stronger.”
With the help of my family and friends, the flyer was
posted in and around the Twin Lakes community. The
raffle of two mountain bikes, donated by Sacred Winds
Communications, and entertainment by Native American star comedians, James and Ernie, were sponsored by
Civerolo, Gralow, Hill & Curtis, P.A. The Indian Bar
Association of New Mexico provided additional support
for the event. The final step in advertising was possible
with the support of Dalina Castellanos, a local reporter
with the Gallup Independent. She received information
about the NYTC event through her chief editor, who,
without question, recognized the importance of the
event’s purpose and wrote an article encouraging high
school students to attend.
Surprisingly, the audience turnout consisted primarily of local elementary and middle school students and
their parents. Due to our unexpected guests, my colleagues and I, with a moments notice, restructured the
entire agenda. Jaunita Tom, Jerry Manuelito and others
from Navajo Technical Community College helped set
up for the event and prepared the food. Ms. Stepleton’s
leadership and charisma kept the student audience stimulated, when she opened up the event with a clever game
of Bingo as an ice breaker. The game allowed children,
ages 7 to 21 years old, to introduce themselves to one
another by seeking individuals with specific characteristics as commanded by the Bingo card. This ice breaker
established a comfortable environment for the students.
Brian L. Lewis, Esq., Sandra Freeland, Dominic
Terry, Melissa Cleveland and Deon Ben rotated among
small groups to chat with the children and young adults,
instead of speaking on a panel, to adapt to the unexpected audience. The panelists used stickers and school supplies to reward student participation. Sandra Freeland
used pictures and graphs, while others depended upon
youth leaders, Wyatt-Cody Mitchell, Skye Chappell
Prater, Adrienne Toyi, Jerrill Jim and Elexcian Spencer,
to stimulate conversation within the small groups. As a
reward to participants, NYTC featured James and Ernie,
the Native comedians, to talk about the importance of
attaining a college education, using their humorous life
experiences growing up on the Navajo Reservation. Robert and Bridgette Jensen, Dorian James, Derrick James
and Dale James, volunteered to help wherever needed.
Bettie James provided advice on healthy lifestyle choices
to youth, based on her expertise with diabetes prevention
gained from working with the Navajo Nation Special
Diabetes Program.
NYTC’s strong and passionate team members worked
together to advance NYTC’s mission. It was through their
creative ideas that NYTC was a success. NYTC’s success,
and others like it, is important because it inspires collegebound students to seek information about attaining a college education. It is my hope that parents in attendance
learned how to help their children pursue a college education and continue to encourage their children to seek
opportunities through higher education.
My recommendation to improve similar events is
forecast a plan five months prior to the event, advertise
during the school year, collaborate with various youth
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Navajo Code Talkers
Death of a WWII Hero
by Susan Duran
K
eith Little, one of the most recognizable of the
Navajo Code Talkers, died of melanoma, on
January 3, 2012, at a Fort Defiance, Arizona hospital. Mr. Little was 87. Navajo President, Ben Shelly,
ordered flags lowered across the reservation from Thursday, January 5 through Sunday, January 8, 2012, in
Keith Little’s honor.
Keith Little envisioned and often spoke of a place
that could host house the stories of the Navajo Code
Talkers, where people could learn more about the famed
group who used Native language as unbreakable code
during World War II.
Keith was only 17 years old, when he joined the
U.S. Marine Corps, becoming one of hundreds of
Navajos trained as Code Talkers. This specialized
group of Marines used a code, developed by 29 tribal members, that was based on the then-unwritten
Navajo language. Fellow platoon members referred to
the Navajos as “walking secret codes”. Each message,
after being sent or received, had to be memorized and
destroyed. The code so confounded the Japanese that
there was no doubt that it was a major factor in helping
the United States win the war.
“My motivation was to fight the enemy with a
gun or whatever,” Little said, in a July 2009 interview.
“When I went into the Marine Corps, I knew nothing
about the Navajo code. It was really astonishing to me
to get to Camp Pendleton and see a bunch of Navajos
there, working with a Navajo code.”
Until his death, Keith was the longtime President of
the Navajo Code Talkers Association. He traveled across
the country, seeking funding for a museum and veterans
Keith M. Little, USMC 4th Marine Division - WWII, Navajo
Code Talker
center that could be expected to cost nearly $43 million.
He talked about preserving Navajo traditions, culture
and the language, which the federal government had
once tried to eradicate, before he and others were called
on to use it during the war.
The Little family hopes to carry out Keith’s dream,
of a museum near the Arizona-New Mexico border, that
also will hold wartime memorabilia and serve as a haven
for veterans. Keith’s wife, Nellie Little, said her husband
hoped the museum would be open by 2014, but additional funds are needed. ✦
(In 2009, AIGC hosted an exhibit at the Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta. During that event, Mr. Little,
along with other Navajo Code Talkers, joined AIGC and entertained visitors with stories of their missions during the war.)
Keith was only 17 years old, when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, becoming
one of hundreds of Navajos trained as Code Talkers.
32
AIGC Alumni
Letter from an Alumnus
(This is letter was received by the AIGC staff, addressed to staff and donors)
Dear American Graduate Center and Donors,
I write this letter with sincere gratitude to be one of the
recipients for this tremendous gift. My sincerest thanks
also go to the donors of the American Indian Graduate
Center. I am a graduate student pursuing a degree in
Community Counseling, at Northern Arizona University (NAU). Thanks to receiving the AIGC Fellowship,
for the 2011-2012 academic year, I will be continuing
toward graduation, which is fast approaching. With a
GPA of 3.94, I am proud to say that I am now a member of three honor societies; Chi Sigma Iota Counseling
International Honor Society, Golden Key International
Honor Society and Gamma Beta Phi National Honor
Society. I am also a recent Northern European Study
Abroad Alumnus, where I obtained professional experience within a global setting. I cannot describe how good
it feels to have someone believe in me. I could not have
done it without your support and inspiration.
My late mother was always the keeper of strength,
wisdom and tradition in my family. Being uneducated,
in the academic sense, her education was derived from
living an altruistic life of principles and unconditional
love. On July 8, 2010, during my first year of graduate school, all the challenges I had ever previously faced
were dwarfed by the sudden and tragic loss of my mother. I drove home in a trancelike state of grief, after receiving the phone call that would forever change the course
of my life. After arriving home, I remember coming
upon one of her footprints, left behind from the previous day. Sobbing, I proceeded to run my fingers through
the outline of her print, so as to, somehow, have one last
connection with her. A drastic change in my life, with
a first-hand learning experience about life’s hardships,
was the beginning in my decision to give every future
endeavor my greatest effort, without fear.
I learned that we all eventually lose what is most
precious to us but, in return, we receive something just
as special; today, her loving spirit continues to dwell in
other people. My upbringing, within an underprivileged
community, having to walk five miles to the nearest bus
stop as a child, enabled me to view education as a gift,
rather than a mere duty to fulfill. Today, I give back to
my Native American community directly, through my
position as a Graduate Assistant with Native American Student Services, at NAU. My job responsibilities
include student advocacy, scholarship and internship
coordination, and advising. Through positive role-modeling and mentorship, younger generations and undergraduates may have more tacit knowledge and familiarity
with institutions of higher learning.
As a board member of a sober living home, which
houses predominately Native American men who want to
quit drinking, I am blessed with witnessing miracles every
day. My plan is to, eventually, obtain a Ph.D. and become
a licensed Clinical Psychologist to help Native American
people negotiate loss, trauma and mental illness.
Once again, I am indebted to you, for your generosity and focus on the goodness of people. Sometimes,
I receive a lot more than I give but, as long as I do my
part, my life feels rich. I pledge my honest endeavor and
persistent effort to do my utmost to continuously build
on my previous success in graduate school. ✦
Sincerely,
Marvin Jim
is now available in electronic form.
If you would prefer to receive an
email copy of our publication,
please let us know at
w w w.aigcs.org
33
Accenture Scholarships
Accenture American Indian
Scholarship Recipients Announced
for Academic Year 2011-2012
by Marveline Vallo Gabbard
T
he Accenture American Indian Scholarship program was established in 2005 to build personal
and lasting relationships with students who will
become the future leaders in the American Indian communities and, possibly, with Accenture. The scholarship
seeks the very brightest American Indian and Alaska
Native undergraduate and graduate students seeking
degrees and careers in engineering, computer science,
operations management, management, finance, marketing and other business-oriented fields. Accenture provides summer internship opportunities for those selected
undergraduate and graduate scholars. The Accenture
scholarship program is sponsored and funded by Accenture LLP and administered by the American Indian
Graduate Center.
Each academic year, Accenture selects students who
demonstrate character, personal merit and commitment to the American Indian community locally and/
or nationally. Merit is demonstrated through leadership
in school, civic and extracurricular activities, academic
achievement and motivation to serve and succeed. This
year’s selection of the very brightest Accenture scholars
includes:
• Ariel N. Barnes (Shawnee) attended Miami High
School in Miami, Oklahoma, with a 3.92 GPA, and
graduated in the top ten percent in her class. Ariel is
currently attending Oklahoma State University pursuing an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.
• Steath Keener (Standing Rock Sioux) graduated from
Standing Rock Central High School, in Fort Yates,
North Dakota, with a 3.78 GPA, and was the senior
class valedictorian. Steath is attending Bismarck State
College pursuing an undergraduate degree in business.
• Matthew J. Meyers (Taos Pueblo) attended Volcano
Vista High School, in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
34
earning a 3.62 GPA, and receiving many certificates of excellence and achievement awards. Matthew graduated this past spring and is attending New
Mexico State University pursuing an undergraduate
degree in civil engineering.
• Krista Z. Robertson (San Carlos Apache) attended
Fort Thomas High School, in Fort Thomas, Arizona.
Krista maintained a 3.88 GPA and was a member of
the National Honor Society and student council. Following graduation, this past spring, Krista is attending Phoenix College pursuing an undergraduate
degree in accounting.
• Kyle S. Swimmer (Pueblo of Laguna) attended
Laguna-Acoma High School, in Casa Blanca, New
Mexico, had a 3.35 GPA and was the senior class
salutatorian. Kyle graduated this past spring and
is attending New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology pursuing an undergraduate degree in
environmental engineering.
• Shannon Brown (Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde) received her Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Oregon State University. Shannon is now attending Willamette University pursing
her Master’s degree in Business Administration.
• Veronica R. Lane (Navajo Nation) received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Fort Lewis College.
Veronica is attending the University of Denver pursing her Master’s degree in Business Administration.
Health Initiatives
Putting a Native Perspective into
U.S. Health Care Policy
by Robin Camardo and Carolyn Gonzales
L
orenda Belone is from Mexican Springs (north of
Gallup, New Mexico) on the Navajo Reservation.
She had to leave her extended family and community for a couple of years, when she moved her family to
Albuquerque to pursue her master’s in public health. The
following year, she was accepted into a doctoral program
in the School of Communication and Journalism at the
University of New Mexico. In the third year of her doctorial training, she was accepted as a Fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy
at the University of New Mexico.
Prior to her graduate work, Lorenda was employed
by the Navajo Nation, working in environmental policy
for 10 years.
“I feel that Robert Wood Johnson brought me full
circle because, once again, I’m working in policy and
policy changes the world,” she said. She added that the
Fellowship allowed her to do her work, which was also
her academic research.
The RWJF Center for Health Policy is home to
leading experts on health policy analysis, from political
science, nursing, economics, sociology, anthropology,
psychology and journalism. It’s the only health policy
center dedicated to increasing the number of experts
from Native American and Latino health policy communities across the nation. The RWJF Center for Native
American Health Policy is an initiative within the RWJF
Center for Health Policy. They offer paid Fellowships
and other support for Native Americans engaged in
health services and health policy research who wish to
pursue doctoral-level degrees. (http://healthpolicy.unm.
edu/fellowships)
The initiative began in 2008, at the Indian Pueblo
Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, with a chance
meeting between Ken Lucero (Zia Pueblo), Robert Otto
Valdez (RWFJ Center) and Dr. Art Kaufmann (HERO
Program). Since then, it has provided an open connection between tribal communities and the resources of
Lorenda Belone (second from left) and family
the University of New Mexico. The Center for Native
American Health Policy promotes a two-way exchange
of ideas and resources that reflects the perspective of
Native Americans in New Mexico and furthers tribal
self-determination regarding health policies. The Center
helps the tribes meet their community health goals and
the tribes help the University understand and work with
tribal community health needs. The goal is to increase
equity, while preserving the traditions and practices
most sacred to the tribes.
Through a lot of hard work and support from her
family and the Center, Lorenda recently finished her
doctorial studies and was offered a tenure-track position,
in the College of Education, at the University of New
Mexico.
“All one has to do is walk through the doors that are
open to them here,” she said, as she prepared to finish
up for the day at UNM and then drive the two and half
hours home to be with her children. ✦
For more information, contact Ken Lucero, Director of the
RWJF Center for Native American Health Policy.
(505) 277-1340 • [email protected]
http://healthpolicy.unm.edu/Initiatives/IPCC
35
Accenture Scholarship
Blackfeet Reservation in the mid and late 19th century.
But Col. Eugene Baker and the U.S. Army responded by
entering a Blackfeet winter camp in bottomlands of the
Marias River on a 30-below January morning in 1870.
After the Baker Massacre, the Blackfeet were pushed
to a smaller reservation, and for years, many refused to
speak of the massacre or the defeat of the great tribe of
the northern plains.
Growing up, Cobell learned about Marias River and
Starvation Ridge from her family. Those stories stayed
with her. “My mother used to say, ‘I didn’t raise any weak
women, I only raised strong women.’ And so we remembered not to run away and say, ‘Poor me, poor me.’ We
were standing up and being strong.”
Now, with Cobell gone, the legal settlement may be in
trouble due to new appeals and federal government budget cuts.
A relative of Cobell’s died of cancer the same day she
passed. James Mad Dog Kennely made and sold beaded
bracelets to supplement his Social Security checks. Due
to the mess of the Indian Trust system, he got an $89
annual royalty check for $6,000 worth of oil pumped
from his land. For years, he waited for the small amount
of money the settlement would bring.
In Cobell’s office, I saw a small piece of paper taped
to the back of her computer monitor. I glanced at it frequently during the half hour I was there. I knew it was
there for me — and anyone else sitting in that chair — to
read and think about.
It read:
First they ignore you,
then they laugh at you,
then they fight you,
then you win. ✦
• Adam C. Parker (Navajo Nation) received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance, from Arizona State University, and is moving toward her Master’s degree in
Business Administration at ASU.
Mark Ratledge is a writer and information technology consultant in Montana.This story originally appeared in the Nov. 28,
2011 issue of High Country News (hcn.org).
Congratulations to the AIGC 2011-12 Accenture
American Indian Scholarship recipients! For more information on the Accenture program, please visit www.
aigcs.org. ✦
(About Accenture - Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with
approximately 236,000 people serving clients in more than
120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful
companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them
become high-performance businesses and governments.
Through its Skills to Succeed corporate citizenship focus, by
2015, Accenture will equip 250,000 people, around the world,
with the skills to get a job or build a business. The company
generated net revenues of $25.5 billion for the fiscal year
ended Aug. 31, 2011. Its home page is www.accenture.com.)
A.T. Still University Health Sciences
In building a pathway that will guide Native students
through graduate-level healthcare education at ATSU
and, ultimately, full circle back to Native communities,
A.T. Still University’s National Center for American
Indian Health Professions is creating more than a pipeline of American Indian and Alaska Native healthcare
providers. It is creating a circular pipeline of culturally
adept Native healers, who will help close the healthcare
gap between Native communities and the rest of America. In so doing, the Center exemplifies ATSU’s founding
mission to serve those in need. ✦
(To learn more about A.T. Still University’s National Center for
American Indian Health Professions (ATSU-NCAIHP,) contact
Dr. Carol Grant at the address below, at [email protected] or
visit http://blogs.atsu.edu/ncaihp/.)
Dr. Carol Grant, Director, National Center for American
Indian Health Professions, Office of Academic Affairs, A.T. Still
University, 5850 East Still Circle, Building H, Suite 213, Mesa,
AZ 85206
36
Alumni Connection
The Alumni Connection
by Susan Duran
Class of 1980
Patricia Axsom (Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa) M.S.,
Counselor Education, San Diego State University
“The AIGC Fellowship was instrumental in helping
me complete my graduate degree program. Since 1980,
I have been fortunate in experiencing increasing levels of
career success, from career counselor to dean, in the educational arena.”
Class of 2002
Jessie Ryker-Crawford (White Earth Chippewa)
B.A. Anthropology, University of Washington
“As one of the first AIGC/Gates Millennium Scholars, I
wish to thank those who made that scholarship possible.
It allowed me to complete a B.A. in Anthropology, Cum
Laude, with a minor in American Indian Studies. I was
then accepted into the University of Washington’s graduate program, in Sociocultural Anthropology, where I have
been focusing my research on the Native American Fine
Art Movement and the indigenization of museums. In
2004, I became a faculty member of the Museum Studies Department, at the Institute of American Indian Arts,
and am currently taking a sabbatical from my position,
as Chair of that program, to finish my dissertation. I am
dedicated to working within the Tribal College and University (TCU) field, where I am allowed to ‘pay it forward’ to other Native Americans who walk in through the
doors of academia. Megwiitch.”
Class of 2011
Jennifer Kolden (Mandan, Hidatsa & Arikara
Nation) M.B.A., Augsburg
“I wanted to thank the American Indian Graduate Center for the scholarship monies awarded to me during
my MBA program at Augsburg College, Minneapolis,
MN from 2009-2011. I was very humbled to be chosen
by AIGC as a scholarship recipient and the assistance it
provided me in achieving my MBA is immeasurable. At a
time when college is seemingly more out of reach for students due to cost, AIGC’s support is critical and will only
continue to grow in importance. I also wanted to note how thoroughly impressed I was
with all of my interactions with AIGC. I felt it was an
extremely well run scholarship program, meaning that the
process was clearly defined and deadlines were communicated on a regular basis. Being a full-time employee and
student, this was greatly appreciated! It is my goal to return my gift of education to the
Native people through my life’s work. Thank you for
allowing me to obtain the tools necessary to do so!”
Class of 2011
Julie Taylor (Umatilla, Walla Walla, Cayuse) M.S.W.,
Portland State University School of Social Work
“I graduated from the PSU School of Social Work (with
my M.S.W.) on June 11, 2011. It was a great day of celebration and I enjoyed it with my family. I even got an
award and had to go on stage! This was unknown to me
but, it was awesome!
Again, thank you for all your support and the American Indian Graduate Center – I could not have made it
without your financial support and your kindness, understanding and patience with email, on the phone, etc. …!”
Class of 2011
Jeri Ann (Parisien) Azure (Turtle Mountain Band
of Chippewa) Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, University
of North Dakota
“I graduated from the University of North Dakota on
August 5, 2011. I have signed a contract to work as a
consultant with the Turtle Mountain Vocational Rehabilitation Project in Belcourt, North Dakota. I am doing
psycho-educational evaluations on students. I am also currently looking for full-time employment. I have applied
for a few positions and have had two interviews, but have
not heard anything yet. I just wanted to say ‘thank you’,
again, for your continued support over the years!!!! I will
send AIGC a graduation picture.” ✦
Note: To insure that we have all your current information,
please take a minute to visit our web site (aigcs.org) or send
an email to ([email protected]) to update your information (be
sure to include your previous address so we know we have the
right individual).
We’re very proud of all our alumni, so… while you’re updating
your information, please let us know what’s been going on with
you. Also, if you would like to submit an article, for our magazine, about your educational experience(s) and/or how education has changed your life, we would welcome your story.
37
A Professional Legacy
Native Studies and the
Legacy of Joe Sando
by Robert Warrior (Osage), PhD, Director, American Indian Studies
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and AIGC Alumnus
N
ews of the passing of Jemez Pueblo historian, Joe
Sando, is a reminder, to all of us who have benefited from AIGC and other organizations that
make higher education more possible for Native people,
of the steep and arduous path that Dr. Sando and many
others of his generation helped established for us. That
reminder should resonate even more for those of us who
work in American Indian studies, as Dr. Sando was
someone who dedicated his life and work to advancing
a community-based intellectual agenda that realizes the
best ideals of what academic Native studies can be.
I only ever met Joe Sando in passing, so I do not
have the sort of insight that his family and friends can
share at this sad moment of remembrance. Nevertheless, I am happy and grateful that Sam Deloria asked me
to write something about Dr. Sando’s contribution to
Native studies to help mark this moment.
Born in 1923, at Jemez, Joe Sando contributed in
many ways to contemporary Pueblo and American Indian life, including teaching, administering programs and
promoting more and better scholarship about American
Indians, especially Pueblo peoples. He worked for many
years as Director of the Institute of Pueblo Study and
Research, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, and continued visiting the center and working
on projects there even after retiring.
His several books leave an enduring scholarly legacy
that will continue to provide students of Native life with
something all too rare—history written from the inside
of Native life that reflects the depth, complexity and
truth of who we have been and how we became who we
are. His crowning achievement as a historian is Pueblo
Nations: Eight Centuries of Pueblo Indian History, which
he published in 1992 in a specific attempt to provide
Native students with a serious, critical and fair account
of Pueblo life. Pueblo Nations is a work of great learning
and deep knowledge.
Joe Sando taught plenty of college students, including at the University of New Mexico and the Institute of
American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, but he is not usually
associated with the growth of American Indian studies.
If we think, though, of American Indian studies as an
intellectual enterprise that pre-dates its academic rise in
colleges and universities since the late 1960s, Dr. Sando’s
contribution to Native studies becomes clearer. That is,
Native studies is more than courses, degree programs
and internships. It is, rather, a reflection of the ongoing
effort of Native people to apply the best habits of the
mind and intellect to the needs of their families, communities and tribal nations.
Thought about in this way, Joe Sando joins the
long list of Native writers, including Samson Occom
(Mohegan), William Apess (Pequot), E. Pauline Johnson
(Mohawk), Gertrude Bonnin (Dakota), Ruth Muskrat
Bronson (Cherokee) and John Joseph Mathews (Osage),
who worked on behalf of Native people without the
Joe Sando’s memory will live among his family and friends and his professional
legacy will continue at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and other institutions
to which he dedicated his labor.
38
benefits of institutional support that many of us as scholars now take for granted. All of these figures exemplified
the importance of applying their best intellectual effort to
the toughest problems Indian peoples faced in their time.
Without the foresight, vision, mental toughness
and persistence of Joe Sando and others of his generation across the continent, the challenge would still be in
front of us to pave the way to the colleges and universities that Native people now attend in record numbers—
including as graduate students. Sando saw our future,
writing two decades ago that “a profound change is
needed to effectively direct the Pueblo youth in fields
where they have a better chance of success and notably where the people need them. As only one example,
the Pueblo people need teachers, but they do not need
a thousand teachers. … The Pueblos need hydrologists,
earth scientists, wildlife management experts, forestry
workers, range managers, agronomists, planners and
architects, writers and editors, historians and anthropologists, doctors and health professionals.”
American
Indian Graduate
Center
(AIGC)
This broad-minded
and long-range
view of
the edu-Ad
cational and intellectual needs of the Native world is
something that those of us in Native studies continue to
need to strive for and programs like the one I direct at
the University of Illinois do well to listen to voices like
Joe Sando’s, as we consider the intellectual challenges
in front of us. His words remind us that, though the
path to higher education has been paved, the challenge
remains to make that path wider and to open doors to
the many fields of knowledge that, too often, remain
closed. He reminds us, as well, that it is possible to face
that challenge in ways that reflect the best and highest
traditions of the communities from which we come.
Joe Sando’s memory will live among his family and
friends and his professional legacy will continue at the
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and other institutions to
which he dedicated his labor. His written work will continue to be available to those, like me. who otherwise
did not get a chance to know this remarkable, Pueblo
man. But Joe Sando also deserves a legacy in the long arc
of the history of Native studies, where his knowledge,
wisdom and commitment to using Native intellectual
Published
in Fall 2011
resources to address the
enduring challenges
exemplifies
the best to which any of us can aspire. ✦
t i ng
Celebraears
21 Y
The Buder Center for American Indian Studies is a premier graduate program in Social Work. We are committed
to preparing and supporting future American Indian leaders to practice in tribal and urban settings, making
significant contributions to health, wellness, and the sustained future of Indian Country
The Buder Center’s Program:

Provides opportunities for full scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Natives from the Kathryn M. Buder
Charitable Foundation

Offers a flexible curriculum that allows you to customize your course of study

Presents course work focused on American Indian culture and values

Assists with securing your practicum through our established network of sites within American Indian
communities

Provides assistance in career and professional development

Offers dual degree programs with architecture, business, law, divinity, and public health
Dr. Molly Tovar, Director One Brookings Drive Campus Box 1196, St. Louis, MO 63130
E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (314) 935-4510 Fax: (314) 935-8464 Website: http://buder.wustl.edu
39
organizations – perhaps those that mandate college preparation workshops and follow-up with individual participants to measure the impact the event had on them.
I believe that the event inspired Navajo tribal leaders, Navajo tribal community colleges, the Navajo tribal government, business entities, community members
and educators, as they jointly volunteered numerous
hours of their time and contributed their resources to
promote college preparation for the Twin Lakes community. The following individuals and organizations’
participation and support was vital to the success of
the event: the Twin Lakes Chapter Officials; President,
Notah Begay; Vice-President, Randolph Lee; Council
Delegate, Mel R. Begay and Community Coordinator, Rhonda Leonard. Other invaluable participants
included: Bonnie Stepleton, Esq., Assistant Dean
for Student Services at UNM School of Law; Juanita
Tom, Substance Abuse Counselor and Jerry Manuelito,
Recruiter for Navajo Technical Community College;
Dine Community College President, Marie Etsitty,
Ed. M., and Recruiter, Jonathea Crank; Vivian Arviso;
Pizza Hut; Sacred Winds Communication; Civerolo,
Gralow, Hill & Curtis, P.A., Albuquerque, New Mexico; Church’s Chicken of Window Rock, AZ; guest
speakers, Brian L. Lewis, Esq., Sandra Freeland, Dominic Terry, Melissa Cleveland and Deon Ben; Native
Star Comedians, James and Ernie; student volunteers,
Wyatt-Cody Mitchell, Skye Chappell Prater, Adrienne
Toyi, Jerrill Jim and Elexcian Spencer; volunteers, Robert and Bridgette Jensen, Dorian James, Derrick James
and Dale James; Navajo government employees, Christina Tsosie and Marlinda Littleman, from the Navajo
Nation Office of Self-Reliance Program; Bettie James,
from the Navajo Nation Office of Special Diabetes Program; Rose Graham, from the Navajo Nation Office of
Financial Aid and Scholarship; Roselyn Shirley; Clara
B. Chicharello and Anthony Sandoval, from the Navajo
Nation Workforce and Development Office. ✦
Lewis & Clark Law School
offers the only summer program
dedicated to training lawyers to
navigate the complex legal issues
facing Native Americans.
Graduate Study in
Tribal Governance
A Unique Master of
Public Administration Degree
The Tribal Concentration reflects
the diverSiTy of issues addressed
by Tribal Governments: sovereignty,
self-determination, educaTion
and economic development,
among others.
The proGram is designed
for working adults: core and
concentration courses each meet
for two full weekends during
the quarter.
Indian Law
Summer
Program
May 29 to
August 6, 2012
A Top 100 Public Affairs Graduate School
– U.S. News & World Report
“Best Graduate Schools” 2012
:
The Evergreen State College - MPA Tribal Governance
Olympia WA 98505 l 360.867.6202
www.evergreen.edu/mpa/tribal
40
Lewis & Clark
Law School
Portland, Oregon
Our program incorporates
classroom-based learning with
opportunities for the development
of practical skills and exposure to
Native American culture. Students
enjoy a cultural field trip meeting
Tribal Leaders and Elders.
Typical Courses Offered
•Federal Indian Law
•Native Natural Resources Law
•Contemporary Issues in
Federal Indian Law
•Indian Gaming and
Economic Development
•Themes in Sovereignty
•Strategies and Innovations to
Strengthen Indian Children
and Families
•Criminal Justice in
Indian Country
Please contact us at 503-768-6740
or [email protected] for
more information.
Scholarships are available.
go.lclark.edu/indian_law
Pre-Law Summer Institute
PLSI Receives 2012 Alexander Award
by Susan Duran
O
n February 3, 2012, during the American Bar
Association’s midyear meeting, Albuquerque’s
Pre-Law Summer Institute (PLSI) was presented
with the prestigious Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner
Mossell Alexander Award.
The ABA Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in
the Educational Pipeline presents the Alexander Award
to recognize exemplary leadership in pipeline work by
an individual or organization. The award honors those
demonstrating success, working along the educational
pipeline, in a collaborative approach involving more
than one segment of the continuum, from preschool to
high school, high school to college, college to law school
and law school to the practice.
Some of the past recipients of this award include;
2011 – The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights
and Economic Development Prep Program
2010 – Legal Outreach
2009 – The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Known as ‘boot camp’ by previous participants, the
PLSI is an 8-week program that, basically, simulates the
first semester of law school, immersing undergraduate
American Indian and Alaska Native students in a program
that teaches them how to conduct law school research;
analyze and write memorandums, briefs and other case
materials – important skills needed to study law.
Graduates of the program have gone on to graduate from law schools at Harvard, Cornell and Stanford,
PLSI Director, Heidi Nesbitt
among other prestigious institutions. Alumni of the
program include lawyers, judges, professors, deans and
tribal chairs.
When the program began, in 1967, the founders
could only locate 25 Native American lawyers in the
country (out of 560 tribes). Today, there are an estimated 2,500 to 3.000 American Indian attorneys and nearly
1,000 of them have gone through the PLSI.
PLSI Director, Heidi Nesbitt, urged lawyers to continue supporting programs like PLSI, because they are
vitally important in ensuring a more diverse professional
population, reflective of the country. ✦
The ABA Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline
presents the Alexander Award to recognize exemplary leadership in pipeline work
by an individual or organization.
41
Looking Back
AIGC Memories
by Charles Trimble
I
n the fall of 1969, I received a call from Taos Pueblo merchant and civic leader, John Rainer, asking
if I would serve on the Board of Directors of a new
organization he was putting together, American Indian
Scholarships, Inc. The organization was to receive funds
from the Indian Education division of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, to seek and evaluate scholarship applications from American Indian students in graduate school
and fund worthy applicants.
I readily agreed to serve, for John Rainer was a good
friend and the program seemed to be a great cause. At
the time, I was at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, helping to set up a program to help stem a high
dropout rate among Indian students there. I was also
working to put together the new American Indian Press
Association and to raise funds for its administration.
My first meeting of the AIS board was memorable
for me, for I found myself in a virtual ‘Who’s Who’
of Indian scholars and leaders. A few of them, besides
John Rainer, I had met earlier – Lucy Covington, Ada
Deer and Leah Manning, three of the most outstanding
women in Indian affairs, ever. I had also met Bob Bennett (Oneida), past Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and
one of the incorporators of the new organization.
The others were well known names in Indian affairs
at the time, but I had not known them personally: Joe
Sando, of Jemez Pueblo; Dr. David Warren, of Santa
Clara Pueblo and Overton James, long-time Governor of
the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Earlier that year, I had worked with Lucy Covington
in her campaign to unseat the Colville Tribe’s Council,
which favored the plans of the Federal government to
terminate them; so I knew her quite well and had the
greatest respect for her. Likewise with Ada Deer, in her
fight to get the termination of the Menominee Tribe
reversed and her tribe restored to federal trust status.
I first met Ada at a special activism workshop in New
42
Charles Trimble
My first meeting of the AIS
board was memorable for me,
for I found myself in a virtual
‘Who’s Who’ of Indian scholars
and leaders.
York City, in mid-1956, and later spoke for her cause at a
rally in Wisconsin.
Leah Manning and her husband, Arthur, both of
the Shoshone-Paiute of Nevada; I had met at conventions of the National Congress of American Indians and
had learned about her outstanding work in the field of
sociology, especially Child Welfare. A gentle, well-educated and elegant woman, she was also an expert on her
tribal culture and was a traditional singer and story-teller.
Along with her daughter, Tina, and a grandchild, Leah
perished in a house fire in 1979.
Joe Sando I recall as a gentle person, with a rich
background in cultural research and preservation among
the Pueblo peoples, including directorship of the Institute of Pueblo Study and Research at the Pueblo Indian
Cultural Center in Albuquerque. He authored several
books on Pueblo history and cultures.
Dave Warren I had always seen as sophisticated and
scholarly, yet down to earth and friendly. He had risen in
stature in the days when many young people were coming onto the scene in Indian affairs, many of them activists in the ranks of the National Indian Youth Council.
I had heard much about him and was eager to meet him
and, to this day, I consider him one of the outstanding
leaders in my experience in Indian affairs. He had served
many years as Director of the Center for Cultural Studies and Research in the Institute of American Indian
Arts in Santa Fe, and later on the Board of the National
Endowment for the Humanities and as Deputy Director
of the National Museum of the American Indian.
I had met Overton James at the National Congress of American Indians and had heard much about
his leadership among the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma. He was well into his first term as Governor of
the Chickasaw Nation, when he came onto the Board of
AIC, Inc., and would serve as Governor for another 18
years beyond. He served as president of the Inter-Tribal
Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, president of the
Choctaw-Chickasaw Confederation, chairman of the
State Indian Affairs Commission, trustee of the National Indian Athletic Hall of Fame, the National Council
on Indian Opportunity and the National Congress of
American Indians.
Forty-three years after it began, American Indian
Scholarships, Inc. is now the American Indian Graduate
Center and, over those years, AIGC has disbursed more
than 15,000 graduate fellowships with the support of the
Bureau of Indian Education, corporate and foundation
partnerships, and alumni and private donors.
Sam Deloria, the current Director of AIGC, is a
forward-thinking man, but is always looking back with
his hand extended, helping younger people on their way
up. As Director of the American Indian Law Center, he
helped launch several generations of Indian lawyers, on
the way through their studies, to careers in protecting
Indian rights and advancing tribal governance.
I have been privileged to have served with these great
leaders, who started the American Indian Graduate Center, and those who keep it alive and growing. They have
enriched my life and inspired me over many years. ✦
(Charles “Chuck” Trimble, Oglala Lakota, was principal
founder of the American Indian Press Association and served
as Executive Director of the National Congress of American
Indians from 1972-78. He is retired and lives in Omaha,
Nebraska.)
www.uppermidwestherc.org
Institutions in the Upper Midwest Higher Education Recruitment
Consortium (UMW HERC) offer a wide array of
educational employment opportunities.
For community information and to view over 1,000 job openings at
56 colleges and universities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, visit our website:
www.uppermidwestherc.org
Forty three years after it began, American Indian Scholarships, Inc. is now the
American Indian Graduate Center and, over those years, AIGC has disbursed more
than 15,000 graduate fellowships with the support of the Bureau of Indian Education,
corporate and foundation partnerships, and alumni and private donors.
43
The American Indian Graduate Center
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit NO 9
Topeka, KS
Advertising in
Has Its Benefits…
• Targeted readership with over 16,000 American
Indian and Alaska Native students, graduates,
professionals and organizations.
• Recruit and Enroll Native Students
• Recruit Native Employees
• Support Indian Country
• Connect with Graduates and Professionals in
Indian Country
• Develop New Business in Indian Country
• Reach Native American Leaders
Advertising Contact:
Linda Niezgodzki • 1-800-628-1920
[email protected] • www.aigcs.org
“AIGC’s scholarship has made my
education dream a reality. This
magazine is a wonderful resource!”
Heather Holyan (Navajo)
Southern California Institute of
Architecture, MA – Architecture

PDF - American Indian Graduate Center

Transcription

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